50 photographs
by krystalMage
Summary: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. New oneshot: Caged Part III, AU . Read and Review! "You forget your place Prisoner."
1. Blanket

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include other members of the Ruroken cast. Mix of canon and AU one shots. Some crack.

**Disclaimer**: Anything you can recognize here belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Characters**: Kenshin (Rurouni) and Kaoru

**BIG** Shout out to Queen Hermy Penguin for giving me much-needed pointers for this drabble series. I hope you like them!

Here we go!

**Blanket**

"I know you're used to sleeping outdoors and its all fine but that's no excuse to sleep the same way when you're inside, is it? It is very cold at night so you'll need this," the girl bent over a wooden chest with battered edges and pulled out a clean blanket, which she promptly thrust in his direction even as she turned her attention back to the chest, carefully lowering the heavy top back to shut it. "And letting you stay won't mean anything if you turn into a frozen block by morning."

She pushed the chest back against the wall, catching herself as a soft grunt escaped her in her exertion. She straightened slowly, wiping her hands clean on her yukata and tuned to look at the scared looking redhead now clutching her blanket for all he was worth. She frowned. How could a man who tore through Gohei and his cohorts _without_ breaking a sweat even own an expression like the one sitting on his face right now perplexed her.

"What happened?"

He shuffled his feet, looking away. "Are you sure it's no problem if I stay?"

"Of course not!" Kaoru exclaimed loudly, regretting her loudness instantly as the man cringed, very subtly but it was a cringe nonetheless. Kaoru did some quick mental cringing of her own. She smiled softly. "You saved my life…and thanks to you, the name of my father and this dojo will never be sullied again. This is the least I can do for you."

Kenshin bent his head as she continued to talk, leading the way to "his room". He stood before the sliding door, wondering if he should go in or not; it was such a beautiful night. The moon was full, and the promise of rain hung in the air. He sighed. It was the sort of night where he would sit and stare at the sky till his eyes shut in weariness. It was the sort of night where he would allow all the ghosts of his past out to gather around him and smother him with their presence. He would reflect, remember, repent and once again envision the face of redemption.

But the girl seemed to have other ideas.

He had set the blanket at the foot of his futon and was just settling down to keep the moon company when the shoji of the room across his own opened and she stepped out. She had changed into another yukata. This one was worn, the color which once had been a rich blue was now faded. Her hair was contained in a loose braid and she looked just as surprised as him to find him outside.

"Is everything alright Kenshin? Did you need anything?" Her cobalt eyes grew wide and gathered her shawl around her shoulders tightly. She didn't even realize how easily she scattered the spectres of his past away. When something as vibrant as her stood before him, it was very hard to dwell on the dead, who wouldn't leave him alone otherwise.

He pulled his lips into a smile. What could he tell her? What would satisfy her? "Yes Kaoru-dono, I am fine. Just enjoying the moonlight."

She faltered as she noticed the formal honorific. "Oh. Well then, I'll leave you to it. Goodnight Kenshin."

"Goodnight Kaoru-dono." He watched as she turned her back to him and disappeared inside her room. Once again, he marveled at how trusting she was. A swordsman could have cut her down in the three seconds that she stood in front of her room, sliding the door open, didn't she realize that? She had left herself vulnerable to injury and death by being the person she was – trusting, believing in the inherent goodness of people, if such a thing existed, trusting in _him_. How did she manage to do this and live? Where did she find the strength to do it?

He shifted his position and drew one knew up to his chest. He rested his chin upon his knee, eyes half-shut and pensive. He forgot how long it had been. When he finally moved again, he realized how cold he was. Sighing, he stood and turned back towards the room, where a kind girl had seen fit to give him a futon and a blanket to stave away the cold. He blinked. She was like this blanket, shutting away the cold in his life by trusting him, by giving him a chance.

He wondered…perhaps he dared to hope for too much…but maybe, just maybe he had found the face of his redemption. He turned and let the blanket cover him completely.

A/N

Hmmm, okay I think I'll give me a 6 on 10 for this. I don't usually write Canon. Please let me know what you think! And send me prompts please!


	2. Laundry

Thank you for your prompts and suggestions **Angle1 (I will tackle your prompts in the next one)**, and thank you **ScarredSwordHeart**, **policis**, **kaoruyukishiro**, **skenshingumi**, **caseyedith**, and **kokoronagomu** for your encouragement. You all rock!

Here's the next one, inspired by Kenshin's favourite activity. It's not very humorous because well...it's still early in their relationship (they don't have one at this stage) and they're just getting to know each other so..yeah)

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><p><strong>Laundry<strong>

Kaoru yawned. She dropped her head down on her chest and revelled in the feeling of muscles being stretched and pulled in the back of her neck. Since that trouble with Gohei, she'd had a niggling pain in the back of her neck and shoulders. In all likelihood, it was the result of being whipped around out of the way while everyone else got to fight as much as they wanted. Kaoru stuck her lower lip out. Despite having the most iron-clad, justifiable reason to fight, she found herself sitting out and gawking like an imbecile as Kenshin had flitted in and about Gohei and his goons, a snick here and cut there, and the whole evil-guy-structure had fallen to pieces.

How unfair.

Sighing, she stood in one fluid motion and made her way to the well. Chores had to be done. They wouldn't disappear just by wishing them away. As she heaved the bucket on the ledge of the well, a bird chirruped from the trees. Kaoru carefully set the bucket down the ground and stopped. She blinked. A pair of tattered sandals with socked feet in them was sitting beside the laundry tub. She let her eyes move up to see what other surprises were in store for her. The feet belonged to a certain red-headed swordsman she had offered shelter to last night. Kaoru felt her eyebrows shoot up her forehead as she watched him now, sitting comfortably at the laundry tub, scrubbing her bed linen for all it was worth. Well technically, it was his bed linen.

He looked up suddenly. Kaoru looked away immediately.

"Miss Kaoru…good morning."

Kaoru smiled, hoping that her jaw had remembered to close earlier. "Good morning Kenshin." She smiled. "It's a beautiful day!'

"That it is, Miss Kaoru." He continued to scrub as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

She bent to lift the bucket only to find it gliding into his hands comfortably. "You don't have to do that, you know. I can manage."

Kenshin looked at her with a strange expression in his eyes. "I know. But you shouldn't have to." He sat down. Thinking of something, he turned to her, "Miss Kaoru, let me take care of things to be done around the dojo, for as long as I stay here. That way, you can concentrate on training your students full time."

Kaoru blinked. "Oh Kenshin, that's so generous and kind of you, but I couldn't take advantage of you like that."

"Miss Kaoru, trust me, if there's anyone taking advantage it is me. This is the least I can do, helping you out in my small way. It's not much I know, but…"

"But Kenshin, I…it wouldn't feel right."

"Why not?"

"Well…."

"Yes?"

"I couldn't ask you to do any of these things. I mean, you're a legend and I…"

His hands stilled on the scrub board. He stared into the soapy water. Kaoru watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye. "Kenshin? What happened?"

He was silent. After a few moments, he shook his head. A sad smile graced his features and he turned to look at her, "Please don't deny me this, Miss Kaoru." He stared into the water once more. "This is the only place where my hands feel clean." He stood, picked up the bucket full of water and began scrubbing with renewed energy. Kaoru could only sit and stare.

**A/N**

Many thanks everyone who reviewed the first drabble. I must tell you that I feel a surge of confidence regarding canon writing and hopefully, I will not let you down.

Thoughts on this one please?

And in case anybody is interested, I am starting a DeiSaku fic called Accidental Love very soon. New fandom, same old jitters.


	3. Anger

Thank you everyone! let's keep those reviews coming in, yeah!

**Angle1** - Apology in advance. I know I was going to tackle your prompts in this one, but then this just popped into my head so I had to write it down. Have I told you how much your review has encouraged me? So, here I am with a Kenshin POV. I hope it's alright. Btw, are you going to be updating **Spoils of war**? Please! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

**caseyedith** - Actually, the reason why Kaoru wants to exempt him from home chores is because she's slightly in awe of him, not because he's the Battousai but because she's seen first hand what an amazing swordsman he is and also what a good person he is, and also she is (like you mentioned) a good hostess and doesn't want him working right away. And even I wanted to see her fight in the series, but somehow, she always got sidestepped, which I think is unfortunate when you have such a strong character.

Also, **skenshingumi**, **sulou**, **Scarred Sword heart**, **policis**, **amie689**, **kaoruyukishiro**, **kokoronagomu** - your reviews are adored and fussed over by moi! Keep the love coming! Thank you for all of it.

And here's the next one...

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><p>Anger<p>

He didn't realize when the faint heat behind his eyes turned into a raging fire as he watched the ujiki stomp around, invading the space around his body, jeering at him, provoking him to act. All he knew was that it was wrong. He could not lose himself in anger. He could not tell himself that they needed to be put in their place. He could not lose himself like that. So he let them say what they had to. He couldn't blame them. They were products of their time – lulled into a sense of all encompassing power, drunk on the strength they knew they had, drunk on the misery of those they were supposed to protect.

He watched them with resignation now. Something was going to happen and he was powerless to stop it. He could control his actions, he could watch his words…but he couldn't control their words, their actions. Their actions, their thoughts were their own.

He shut his eyes as the leader of the sword bearing police called him out. He demanded a match and Kenshin would not give him one.

"Draw your sword and let me see what you're made of!"

"I do not wish to fight." _How many times do I have to say it? I don't want to fight. I don't want to fight. Don't ask me to fight. Don't make me fight._

"Aww….he's such a nice guy. Well then, Mr. Nice Guy, we're just going to have to make it worth your while to fight."

Kenshin let his eyelids droop down. He would have shut them completely but something shifted in the crowd. The crowd that was watching apprehensively as one slender man faced down an entire unit of the sword-bearing police, suddenly split down the middle as a young girl pushed her way to the front. Kenshin felt his heart contract and his eyes grow wide. _Kaoru-dono….oh no!_

"Kenshin! Kenshin!" Kaoru burst through the crowd. She stopped short as she saw the man facing Kenshin. The cruel twist of his lips seemed to stretch as his eyes sized her up and his hand shot out to grab her wrist and pull her forward. Her words sputtered and died on her lips.

The man held her close, his fingers dug into her waist. "Boys, it seems that this girl is with the nice guy here."

"Aww ain't that precious."

"Hey, I think she's angry."

She twisted and was just about to give him the biggest scratch across the face ever seen on this side of Japan when flash of steel slipped through her hair. From the corner of her eyes she saw her ribbon flutter to the ground.

"Her kimono will be next." The captain spoke. Kenshin looked at him with disbelief. His voice streaked through his mind like poison and that's when he realized the heat behind his eyes was threatening to surge and burn everything in its path. He clenched his fist. Slipping into a stance, he felt his tendons stretch as he bent, "Let her go." His voice was low and soft, like a whisper on the wind.

The captain smirked. He ran a hand down Kaoru's back, daring him to do something. "Or what? Are you finally going to use that sword?"

"Get away from her!"

"Make me."

"Alright."

He should have contained himself. He should have been more careful. As he stared at the crumpled bodies of the captain and his men, lying defeated in the dust, he watched the eyes of the crowd as they stared at him – in admiration, in wonder, in fascination and in fear. This was the last thing he wanted, but he had no choice. He truly had no choice.

Kaoru-dono…just the memory of the captain's hands on her body…he shook his head. No! She should never be tainted by the touch of someone so evil, so degenerate. Kaoru-dono was special. She was precious. This world was not meant for one as beautiful as her. Her spirit, her courage…it was like the sun. She gave her light and her love to everyone, even to one as wretched as him. For her…he could fight for her. And it would be alright. It would be alright.

"Kenshin?"

"Kaoru-dono….I am sorry."

"For what?"

"Your ribbon…it's ruined."

She smiled. "Don't worry about it. Let's go home Kenshin."

"Hai, Kaoru-dono."


	4. Dangerous

This one is dedicated to Angle1 (Because she's the first reviewer for this story and she gave me prompts! She also gets double chocolate chip cookies for that..yeah.) And she's going to update **Spoils of War**…for which we love her to pieces! Yayyy!

**Prompts**: Thunderstorm, tickle, orange, broom and blush.

**Characters**: Kenshin (Rurouni) and Kaoru

**Rating**: T for Tame

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><p><strong>Dangerous<strong>

BOOM

Kenshin watched as Kaoru stared up at the sky, her lips apart and her eyes wide open with wonder. She held her fingers poised at her chin even as the clouds rumbled and lightning crackled far, far away in the grey sky. Her lips formed an 'o' as a whitish-purple streak of light hit the earth, its form crumbling away into nothingness after a flash of brilliance.

He smiled. "Kaoru-dono, you seem to like thunderstorms."

Kaoru turned to look at him slowly and whispered, as though her voice would disturb the dance of the elements, "They're just so beautiful. I can't help it."

Kenshin stared at her. She turned her attention back to the powerful roll of the clouds in the sky and stared, without blinking, without batting an eyelid. She trembled as the clouds rolled again and thunder sounded for miles. A gust of wind swept dry leaves around the courtyard. A gnarled leaf floated up on the air and settled on Kaoru's shoulder. When the wind picked up once more, it flitted across her cheek. It was a faint touch, a mere tickle causing shivers to run down her spine.

Kenshin looked down at his hands. "Kaoru-dono?"

"Yes, Kenshin."

He cast a glance inside the dojo. The flickering, orange light of a single candle shone bravely despite the weather. "How can you enjoy something that is so dangerous?"

Her forehead furrowed and she looked at him quizzically. She stuck her lower lip out in a frown pout as she thought about his question. The wind was becoming stronger. Dust blew about in waves, settling on their skin, digging into their pores and clothes. Kaoru watched as various light objects rolled past the line of her vision in the courtyard - leaves, a length of tatty rope, a broom twig, an empty basket.

Finally, she said, "Just because something is dangerous, doesn't mean it should be shut out of our lives. Dangerous is not always a bad thing, I guess. It can be exciting, and beautiful, and sublime, and meaningful too." She swung her legs, feeling weird about the question. Something wasn't right about it…she just couldn't put her finger on it though.

She turned to him. "Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason," he mumbled, but she noticed a slight smile tugging at his lips.

She frowned. "You think I'm silly because I like watching thunderstorms." She retorted.

"No, no Kaoru-dono! It's not like that at all."

"It is! That's why you asked."

"No, Kaoru-dono. That's not what I meant."

"I knew you were poking fun at me." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"Kaoru-dono…I would never do that."

"Then what's with the sudden preoccupation with danger?"

"It's just…I…well…how should I say this?" Kenshin sighed. "You like thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are dangerous."

"So?" Kaoru glared at him pointedly, her fingers itching to reach for the bokken standing behind her.

"Yet you look at them like they're fascinating."

"I repeat…sooooo?"

"So…I'm dangerous too."

Blink. Blink. Kaoru opened her mouth, hoping that her brain would conjure up a reply in the time it took her jaw to wake up - not likely though. As his eyes found hers again, she fought the onslaught of a blush and whipped her head around before he found more incriminating, embarrassing, potentially reputation-destroying material to talk about.

A/N

Ehehe…I don't know where this came from. Please comment.


	5. Faith

**Faith**

"You shouldn't have forced him Kenshin. It was wrong to do so."

Kenshin glanced up at Kaoru. She was tying a square cloth over her hair. The front yard needed dusting and Kaoru had come armed with broom to tackle the problem. She would have delegated the task to Yahiko but she suspected that no amount of wheedling, coaxing or threatening would get him to do what she asked. The boy called her 'Busu' of all things. Busu! She was known as the Kenjutsu Beauty, darn it! Silly boy.

"I do not recall forcing anyone to do anything Kaoru-dono." Kenshin replied with an air of perplexity. He continued to chop vegetables for the afternoon meal. After several days of Kaoru-dono's cooking, he had pretty much forced himself into the kitchen, declaring that he couldn't allow her to waste precious time slaving away cooking. Thankfully, she had offered no resistance.

Kaoru drew a deep breath. "I know you're just trying to help Kenshin but refusing to teach Yahiko your sword style just so he'd pick up Kamiya Kasshin Ryu is little more than forcing him into my school."

Kenshin hands stilled on the knife he was holding. "I do not intend to pass Hiten Mitsuryugi to anybody Kaoru-, but Yahiko is keen to learn."

"Perhaps, but he is not keen to learn from me. He thinks I'm just some bossy woman who doesn't know what she's talking about."

Kenshin smiled. "Perhaps you should let him know then."

"It's not that simple Kenshin." She scowled. "How am I supposed to teach anything to a boy who doesn't want to learn. He doesn't respect me."

Kenshin swept the chopped vegetables into a bowl and stood, "Yahiko may act tough, but he has a pure heart. He will follow you truthfully Kaoru-dono. It is better to have one student who will stand for your teachings and remain steadfast to your beliefs than to have a dojo full of people who turn and run at the first appearance of trouble, don't you think so Kaoru-dono?"

"Yes, but…"

"Give him time Kaoru-dono. You will not be disappointed."

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><p>AN

Hey everyone,

So I'm feeling a little depressed. I am way behind schedule for studying for my entrance exam. My muse for various fics is stymied because she is giving me tons (I mean, tons) of material which I am unable to put to paper ...or computer whatever because there's no time! Ugh! And I seriously think I am messing up my DeiSaku fic and that's not a good thing becasue I love this pairing and want to write a good one but I don't know. I'm not so confident writing Naruto and it's driving me insane. Anyway...yes the rant is over.

Oh and there is something funny happening with the 'F' key on my laptop. Excuse typos.

Please comment.


	6. Strength

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include other members of the Ruroken cast. Mix of canon and AU one shots. Some crack.

**Disclaimer**: Anything you can recognize here belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Characters**: Kenshin (Rurouni) and Kaoru

**Rating**: T for Tame

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><p><strong>Strength<strong>

Kaoru chewed her lip and stared out the gate. Then she walked back towards the dojo, sat around for about ten seconds then rushed back to the gate, and back to the dojo in a continuous loop.

The third time it happened, Kenshin decided to put away his mending and turned to look at the girl. As his eyes followed her frantic pacing in front of the dojo, his lips curved into a wry smile. Kaoru-dono liked to worry about things. She worried about not getting enough practice. She worried about the maintenance of the dojo. She worried about the fact that all her students had abandoned her father's sword style, and over the course of the last few days, he had been jolted to the bone to find that she even worried about him.

That had felt….different. It had felt warm. It felt good. He didn't register the fact that the infinitesimal smile playing on his lips had turned into a grin. He stood and calmly walked over to where she stood at the gate of the dojo, craning her neck and pacing, muttering to herself.

"Kaoru-dono, do not worry about Yahiko. He will be alright."

"I told him not to be late! But does he listen? No! Never!" She seemed not to have heard him at all. She rushed back to her post at the gate and dejectedly lowered her eyes as the street was as empty as it had been ten minutes ago. She sighed. "Where could he have gone? It doesn't take this long to buy tofu." She chewed her bottom lip. She stared at the ground. "You don't think something's happened to him? Those yakuza wouldn't try and take him back would they?" She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, her voice barely audible.

Kenshin shook his head. "They wouldn't do something like that. We reached an understanding that day. As long as they keep to themselves, we have no reason to fight. They know that."

Taking a step forward, she decided to wait a little while longer before going out to search for Yahiko. Kenshin wandered over to the clothes hanging in the courtyard, checking to see if it was safe to take them down. She smiled. Really, the man was obsessed with laundry. He wore the most adorable expression while cleaning or washing clothes. She blinked. What was she doing? How could she even think about something like that at a time like this?

She turned to the gate once more, biting her lip raw. Yahiko…he was just a little boy, no matter what he said or how tough he pretended to act. He was a little boy who was in her care…if anything should happen to him…she'd never be able to forgive herself.

Kenshin wandered back to the front yard and sighed as Kaoru remained glued to the dojo gate. He silently went and stood next to her. Touching her arm with his fingers, he spoke, "Kaoru-dono, I will go look for him now. You should sit inside. The hour grows late. It is not good for you to exhaust yourself like this."

"You can't go wandering about all alone! I'll come with you." She replied decisively.

"No, Kaoru-dono." He said firmly, the serious look in his eyes stopping any argument. "It is late, and if Yahiko were to come back while I am gone, he will be troubled to find nobody home. So, please stay here."

Kaoru frowned and stuck her lower lip out defiantly. She wanted to protest but the lack of any good ideas forced her to keep her mouth shut. Kenshin turned as if to leave when a shuffling sound alerted them to the presence of somebody outside the dojo. Upon investigating, both Adjutant Master and Rurouni were taken aback at the sight of a scruffy Yahiko, dragging his feet to the dojo.

His hair was a fright, his face was smudged, and his right sleeve was beginning to tear. Kaoru gasped at the all too visible signs of a scuffle surrounding her student.

"Yahiko! What happened?"

Yahiko mumbled something and tried to slip past his teacher. Kaoru caught him by the scruff of his neck and shook him thoroughly. "You aren't going anywhere without explaining yourself! Have you any idea how worried I was? You've been gone for most of the afternoon! Where were you? What happened?"

"Kaoru-dono…" Kenshin said softly.

Yahiko turned on her viciously. "I'm fine! Nothing happened, alright! Geez, Ugly, leave me alone!" He pushed her hands away and ran inside. Kaoru could only stare after him, dumbfounded and shocked. She turned to look at Kenshin who smiled at her reassuringly, and quickly followed Yahiko to the bathhouse.

The boy was scrubbing his face furiously, splashing about more water than was necessary. Kenshin quietly seated himself outside the bathhouse and waited for Yahiko.

He watched as Yahiko finally emerged from the bathhouse, rubbing his face and neck with a dry cloth. The boy saw him waiting and ignored him. Yahiko quietly dropped the well bucket in and began to draw water. Kenshin didn't fail to notice the tense rigidity of his shoulders, or the faint frown still sitting upon his features. His expression was grave and his ki shook with turmoil.

He stood.

"Yahiko, you don't have to carry every burden by yourself."

Yahiko froze. The faint creaking of the pulley died away slowly. He let go off the rope and turned to face Kenshin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kenshin smiled sadly. "I think the trouble is that you do know what I'm speaking of." He looked away. "It's not necessary to be so strong all the time. You can let go sometimes."

Kenshin didn't turn even though he could hear the faint noise of a sniffle stopped, and tears blinked away. Yahiko bunched his fingers into fists. His entire body trembled with untold emotion and he raised a hand to clutch his forehead tightly. "I… can't _stand_ it."

He slid to the ground and pulled his knees to his chest. "Busu is trying so hard and I can't stand it….the way they speak about her in town. Those…those….bastards," he spoke with such venom that Kenshin turned to look at him. Red, hot rage burned through the tears sparkling in the boy's eyes. "They were laughing at her, calling her names…insulting her…I couldn't…I know she won't like it but I just couldn't bear it." He settled his forehead on his knees.

Kenshin remained silent. He offered no words of comfort or wisdom. He didn't tell Yahiko what he should be feeling. He didn't tell him that he was right or wrong. All he could do for Yahiko was listen. There would time later to dissect what had happened.

"I was so angry…but in the end, I could do nothing Kenshin! Because, I'm….nowhere near their level. They trampled all over me today Kenshin. They played around with me and left me in the dirt…I suppose it's no more than I deserve. I was so stupid! Just charging in, not thinking about how I should have tackled them, what I should have done different…I'm…useless. I could do nothing for Kaoru." His voice died away and he sunk his head in his arms.

Kenshin placed his hand on his head gently and knelt beside him. "Yahiko, you are not useless. But, it's as you said. They were far stronger than you. That's all. And that is a difference you will overcome in time. Don't blame yourself for something you have no control upon."

Yahiko looked stricken, "But Kenshin, I…dishonoured this dojo and Kaoru by losing."

Kenshin sighed. "You did not dishonour this dojo by losing Yahiko…but you may have negated your teacher's words by fighting in the first place. However, it is not my place to judge you. You should go speak to your teacher Yahiko."

"Busu will kill me."

"I'm sure Kaoru-dono can control herself." Kenshin replied with a wry smile. Yahiko laughed shortly and wiped his face on his sleeve. Looking pensive, he glanced at the older swordsman and asked, "You're not angry Kenshin?"

"Why would I be angry?"

"I _lost_ Kenshin! I lost to those bastards in the market."

Kenshin blinked and slowly shook his head. "You stood up for your teacher against an enemy much more experienced, and stronger than you. Your arm may be weak but your heart is strong. You may have lost today, but that will change. I have no reason to be angry with you." Kenshin smiled and made his way to the kitchen.

Carefully hidden by the dojo walls a few paces away, Kaoru could only stare at the frail figure of the loud, obnoxious little boy Kenshin had deigned to drop into her care a week ago. She remembered how sceptical she had been regarding him. How she was convinced that Yahiko thought of her as a nuisance and nothing more, he definitely didn't respect her and he didn't want her as his teacher but looking at him now…Kaoru sighed. No wonder he didn't want to look her in the eye.

She straightened her shoulders. Yahiko was hers now. Her student. And she would take care of him and the make sure that he never had to wait for someone else to come dry his tears. He would never have to cry secretly again. His fears, his sorrow, his defeat and his hope...they were hers. And she would protect him...no matter what.


	7. Soup

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include other members of the Ruroken cast. Mix of canon and AU one shots. Some crack.

**Disclaimer**: Anything you can recognize here belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Characters**: Kenshin (Rurouni), Yahiko and Kaoru

**Rating**: T

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><p><strong>Soup<strong>

Kenshin and Yahiko stared at it. It sat innocently on the low wooden table, even as the sound of Kaoru pottering about in the kitchen reached their ears belatedly. It had been a long walk from the shrine and the swordsmen, master and beginner were exhausted. Yahiko blinked while Kenshin sighed inaudibly and shuffled his feet. It didn't budge. It continued to mock them as it sat in a position of honor upon the table, the delicate bowls of china sitting beside it testimony to the fact that it was indeed, part of their meal today.

Pristine white china painted with indigo ink showed dragons in flight, sinuous bodies curling, eyes wide and tempered with wisdom and power. Neither of the men had seen these delicate vessels before, this and the not-so-subtle sound of Kaoru humming (a very pleasant sound, they both agreed) could mean only one thing. A meal had been prepared, a meal meant for them, painstakingly and the cook was one Adjutant Master who had a devastating smile and deadly skill with a bokken. Kenshin sighed once more.

They were doomed.

A sudden movement and Kaoru was sliding the shoji open and walking into the room, arms cradling more food. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of them and she exclaimed, "Yahiko! Kenshin! You're back early! Go wash up quickly. I made lunch!"

They were so doomed.

**A/N**

Hehe, because I couldn't resist taking a crack at Kaoru's cooking.


	8. Not Afraid

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include other members of the Ruroken cast. Mix of canon and AU one shots. Some crack.

**Disclaimer**: Anything you can recognize here belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Characters**: Battousai

**Rating**: T

* * *

><p><strong>Not Afraid<strong>

He wasn't scared.

It was not fear that he felt. Because he had known fear, lived it, felt it slither through his veins as he watched the disembodied arm of a man hold a sword high above Akane's head and bring it down. The drops of blood hit his skull like pellets of clay. Akane….her eyes had grown wide, so wide that the whites of her eyes seemed to swallow her irises, that is to say, that's what it had looked like. Later, he had realized that her eyes had simply rolled up into her head, leaving nothing for him to stare at but the pristine white of her deathly gaze.

Sakura had been next. She was holding him tight, whispering soft words of courage, telling him not to be sad, telling him to live and then suddenly, she stood, her arms hung at her side, and when he looked up, a katana was stuck through her neck, shielding him from seeing what death must have looked like in her eyes.

By the time they killed Kasumi, his fear had died away. The sword he had pulled out from under one of the dozens of bodies in that field had felt cold and strange in his tiny hands but fear had fled his mind. He was not afraid to die. He was not afraid of being hurt.

X

Those men had to be stopped. Because if they were not….then tears and blood would flow as one again. And that is why he was not afraid. He was not an angel of death, as his comrades so easily called him. An angel would not feel a gnawing pain, a hole inside his chest each time a stroke of his katana extinguished the life force of another human being. He accepted that pain, lived with it, and followed his orders. It was not for him to question who did what. All he knew was that he had a target, and the target had to be killed. The pain, the death and the centuries of suffering would be forgotten in the dawn of a new world.

He stepped forward. The man froze. As he crumbled, the red stain on his chest grew larger and larger. Iizuka knelt beside him and confirmed the death with a sly nod of the head. He turned and walked back to headquarters, refusing to fall into step with anybody else.

It was necessary. He knew that. Nobody else could do it. He knew this as well. Then why, why did he choose to remember how Akane had looked that night, the horror seeping into her face as she heard the telltale hiss of steel piercing the air.

A/N

This is still canon but I've wavered a bit from the timeline. Please Comment.


	9. Memory

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include other members of the Ruroken cast. Mix of canon and AU one shots. Some crack.

**Disclaimer**: Anything you can recognize here belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Characters**: Kenshin (Rurouni) and Tomoe

Thank you everybody who has been reviewing this story. You are gold!

* * *

><p><strong>Memory<strong>

It had been an exhausting day. Kaoru's shoulders throbbed and she could feel the muscles of her upper arm screaming for relief. She hadn't meant to get so carried away but Yahiko had been so attentive today, she thought to make the most of it and sparred till they were both literally, ready to drop. She glanced over at her student, who sat with Kenshin, enthusiastically regaling the older swordsman with how he had read her moves and how much faster he'd become and how…

"You really ought to join us the next time we spar Kenshin. At least I'll get a little variety. Busu always works the same old moves."

_What? Same old moves? Excuse me?_ Kaoru pricked her ears and sat up straight, pain in the shoulder be damned. _Who did that little brat think he was?_

"Just a minute, Yahiko-chan!" A nerve twitched madly on her forehead and she reined in the desire to bash him into pulp.

"Don't call me that," Yahiko retorted almost instantly.

"I'll call you whatever I choose. I'm your teacher! And the reason why I try the "same, old moves" on you is because that's all you can handle at this level of your training. If you want variety, you had better be prepared to back it up with more practice."

And like always, the argument continued well into the evening, until Kenshin diplomatically pushed Kaoru towards the bath house and told Yahiko to wait his turn while she washed up. Dinner was quickly shovelled into hungry stomachs and the lights went out one by one as night settled over the dojo.

Kenshin sat alone on the parapet near the well, gazing into the starlit night. It was a quiet night, save for the yearning buzz of cicadas and the watchman's staff on the road, not a sound could be heard. The wind suddenly picked up, lifting his bangs away from his face. The familiar, intoxicating fragrance of white plum drifted into his nostrils and a slow smile stretched across his lips.

Two delicate hands covered his eyes, and a soft voice whispered in his ears, "Anata."

Kenshin smiled. He covered the hands with his own, unwilling to let go. "I knew you'd come tonight." He turned, and there she was. Pristine, beautiful, seraphic almost. His Tomoe.

She slipped a hand into his arm and sat down. "You are happy. I am glad. You are finally beginning to let go."

"I am finally gathering the courage to let go." He looked at her and smiled. Tomoe gasped, her fingers touching her lips as she stared at him in wonder. Her eyes seemed to glisten with moisture.

She smiled. "Ten years I have waited for you to smile like that, anata." She stood and looked around the dojo. "This place is good for you. There is courage here, and kindness that can dispel even the darkest of your fears."

"I fear I impose too much upon them."

"Why do you say that?"

"They are…so innocent. I fear my shadow will draw that innocence away." He looked up as her fingers held his cheeks and tilted his face up.

"You have thrown away the darkness that surrounded you. They look up to you. You give them courage. You give them peace….but most importantly, anata, they want to take away your loneliness. They want to give you peace."

"I don't deserve it, Tomoe."

"You deserve to be happy."

"Tomoe…"

"I must go soon….I can no longer stay by your side, anata. My time…draws near. But before I go, I want you not to be lonely."

"Tomoe?"

"I want you to be happy."

"Tomoe, wait!"

"I want you…to live."

"Tomoe…"

"Live…anata."

A/N

Hello peeps!

This drabble…hmmm…I am not usually kind to Tomoe in my regular fics, well she's only appeared in LLE and she's not exactly a bundle of sweet peas there but since I'm concentrating on canon here, this is my take on her. As a friendly ghost who sticks around to chit chat with Kenshin.

Please comment!

P.S. The Muse has abandoned me for everything except Dark Promises and In the Shade of Pink Elephants. Pffft.


	10. Lunch and A Fight

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include other members of the Ruroken cast. Mix of canon and AU one shots. Some crack.

**Disclaimer**: Anything you can recognize here belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Characters**: Kenshin (Rurouni) and Kaoru

* * *

><p><strong>Lunch and A Fight<strong>

Kaoru mercilessly chewed her lip, her eyes fixed upon the figures standing in the crowded street outside the Akabeko. Beside her, Yahiko and Kenshin stood tensed, neither of them happy about the strange turn of events that had led all of the Akabeko's lunch crowd and then some out on the street, watching with perverse delight as three men, drunk on the rambunctious language of revolution faced off a fourth man, who watched them with the quiet assurance of a man who knows exactly what he's doing.

He smiled, his hair defying gravity as it shot up towards the sky despite its volume. The red bandana tied at the beginning of his hairline seemed to scream, 'danger', and 'watch out', 'engage at your peril' and 'here there be monsters.' He cracked his knuckles and curled his lip in challenge.

"So, how do you want to do this?" He suddenly dipped his head and chuckled. "Actually, never mind. I don't care. Come at me one by one or altogether, it makes little difference to me."

"Don't get arrogant, bastard!," yelled one.

"Yeah, you don't know what you're getting into," screamed the other.

"I just hope you can give me a good fight." The man replied almost lazily.

The murmurs of the crowd grew louder as some people cheered the boy on, while others grumbled that his attitude would cause trouble. Still others looked around for the police, anxious to stop the trouble just waiting to happen.

Kaoru leaned towards Kenshin and mumbled, "Kenshin, we should do something. That boy might get hurt! He's up against three men."

Kenshin didn't answer. He narrowed his eyes and studied the street fighter keenly. He betrayed no nervousness or anxiety about the fight, in fact his ki was washed in confidence; he was completely in control of himself. To think that he couldn't handle himself would be presumptuous. Kenshin felt a strange affinity to him. It was rare to find a man with such conviction, and yet, he did not betray any callowness or cruelty. It was as though, his strength was enough for him. He seemed to be enjoying the situation but it didn't feel as though this man was fighting because he enjoyed giving pain.

Finally, Kenshin glanced at Kaoru and smiled amiably. "Don't worry Kaoru-dono. I think our friend can handle this one."

"Come on boys, my hair is turning grey just waiting for you to make your move." He taunted.

His goading ruffled the hawk-nosed man in front and he lunged forward, a glint of steel flashing between his fingers that nobody noticed until it was too late. Kenshin stiffened and his hand dropped to his sword. Kaoru gasped, her fear turning real and Yahiko shouted at the top of his voice, "You cowards! Don't fight if you don't have the guts to fight fair!"

There was a sickening thud as the tiny blade broke into skin. The man grinned maniacally, his lips twisting to reveal creamy teeth. A trail of blood trickled down the young man's nose, swerving to glide along his cheek. A collective gasp rose from the people standing around. The crowd waited with bated breath. They stared in shock as the young man merely curled his lip and asked, "That all you got?"

The hawk-nosed man gaped at him. His features twisted with rage and pulled his fist back, ready to cut behind the façade of landing a fleshy fist on the young man's face. As he brought his fist hurtling forward, the stranger sighed dramatically and stopped it easily with his hand. He smirked.

"You're a waste of time." He turned away and would have continued to walk down the street when another of the loud mouths hollered and came storming forward, ready to continue where his friend had left off but Zanza was now in no mood to humour them. He nonchalantly stopped his punch with one hand and drew his other hand back into a fist and slammed it into his face. The man staggered back and landed clumsily in a heap on the ground.

The third man watched dumbfounded as both his comrades lay defeated on the ground. He stealthily drew his cane up to his chest. He gripped the end and twisted it to draw a very thin blade out of the stick. He had scarcely pulled the blade out when a low voice behind him jolted him out of his thoughts.

"This was a hand-to-hand fight. I have been very patient so far but if you insist on continuing with this thing, I will have to step in." He pressed the hilt of his sakabatou into the man's side. The man glared sullenly at him but stepped back. Kenshin turned to find the stranger watching him closely. He smiled back amiably.

The street fighter cocked his head to the side. "Hey, I didn't need your help but I appreciate it. This was a boring fight. I'm glad I'm rid of them." He took a deep breath and glanced back at him shrewdly, "Now you, on the other hand, you look like you could give me a good fight."

Kenshin blinked and tried to look clueless. "Me? I don't know what you're talking about."

The street fighter smirked. "If you have the balls to carry that around," he gestured towards his sakabatou, "then I'm guessing you – would give me a good fight. That's all I care about."

Kenshin blanched. "Erm…"

Beside him, Kaoru balled her fingers into fists and railed at him, "You idiot! We were worried about you and that's all you have to say? You're bleeding, but you still can't think of anything but fighting." She threw her hands around, making her disbelief apparent.

The street fighter paid her no heed; he continued to look at Kenshin, "Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know." Tossing one final glance at Kaoru and Yahiko, he wiped the blood from his forehead with his palm and flicked it to the side, casually walking away as though nothing had happened.

Kenshin frowned as the symbol etched on the back of his jacket tugged a chord in his memories and took him back to the past once again.

_Evil_

A/N

Please comment.


	11. A Case of Mistaken Identity

Summary: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

Rating: T

Characters: Kenshin, Shinta, Aoshi and Kaoru

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

* * *

><p><strong>A Case of Mistaken Identity<strong>

Kenshin grimaced at the pile of boxes still waiting to be carried out of the truck and into the house. He didn't even want to think about the second truck on its way with even more stuff. Sighing, he rolled up his sleeves and heaved a box up in his arms. As he made his way inside, he could hear his brother and his best friend arguing about which way to best lift the couch through the curving staircase.

He rolled his eyes as a voice boomed through the hall. "Stop wasting time and just get that thing up here!" He trudged over to the staircase to see how far they'd gotten. Shinta stood in the middle of the staircase, hands gripping one end of the couch. At the bottom step, Aoshi held the other end, frown firmly in place.

"You have move with the curves, Aoshi." Shinta bit out.

"We haven't even got to that part yet. Start moving and I'll do what needs to be done." Aoshi sneered back. There was really no love lost between these two.

"If you two nincompoops don't get that couch up here in the next two minutes, I am going to toss all three of you in the pool. Kenshin! Baka! Why don't you help them out?"

Kenshin sighed. "Hai, Shishou". He tapped Aoshi's shoulder. "Aoshi, start climbing, he'll have to move eventually. Shinta, just take one step at a time, I'm going to lift it with Aoshi from this end."

Shinta nodded. Kenshin slipped his hands under the couch and lifted. "Okay, on the count of three, one….two…three!" The three boys rushed up the stairs, swerved madly to avoid collision with the aquarium, and set the couch down.

Shinta shook his bangs out of his eyes. "Whew. I thought we'd never make it." Aoshi was just about to make a sarcastic comment when the doorbell rang. Vigorously. The three looked at each other.

Kenshin lifted his chin and looked at his twin. "You go."

Shinta scoffed. "I've been getting it all morning. Why should I go? Tell Ice Man here to go."

Aoshi crossed his arms over his chest. "This isn't even my house."

"Kenshin! Get the damn door!"

Shinta snickered. Aoshi smiled depreciatingly. Kenshin hung his head. "Hai, Shishou."

Glaring darkly at the two, Kenshin quickly raced down the stairs, through the hall and flung the door open. "What is_umph?"

He can't breath. He can't speak. He can't even see anything except for the mass of silky midnight blue hair that somehow curls up in his fists. There is the soft, warm skin of someone's neck. There is the faint, almost imaginary perfume of jasmine in the air, and there is the heady, intoxicating taste of a mouth on his. Lips that belie their softness by the intensity with which they attack his. A tongue as smooth as satin that slips past his lips and strokes the roof of his mouth. It is a kiss that consumes him, devours him and makes him captive and he has yet to put a face to it. The kiss sparks an electric current that races through every nerve and tissue of his body, that reaches under his eyes, inside his blood, beyond his capacity to think.

A weak thought at the edge of his consciousness is telling him, he's never been kissed so thoroughly, so hungrily before. And then, the lips pull away. There is a soft hand at his cheek and a voice at his ear,

"I missed you so much!"

"Kenshin?" Aoshi's voice snaps him out of his drifting dream, and he blinks and looks. Aoshi is staring at them pointedly, taking in his hand resting at her hip. Kenshin dropped his eyes and removed his hand from her body.

"Ken..shin?" She says, horror seeping into her eyes. She let go immediately. She stepped back and looked from him to Aoshi with wide-eyed fear and confusion.

He starts to say something but Aoshi beats him to it. "We need you upstairs Kenshin." Is it just his imagination, or is Aoshi stressing his name more than usual, more than necessary?

"Oh god." She gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. He's still trying to get a word out, but his mouth just keeps opening and closing before he can string a sentence together. If he remembers how to string a sentence together.

There is the sound of someone coming down the stairs. A breathless laugh. "Kaoru? Is that you?"

And suddenly Shinta is standing beside him. Kaoru stares at him, and then back at the man she has just kissed like the world was ending.

"Shinta?" She manages to squeak.

Shinta grins before pulling her into a hug. "I see you met my brother."

"Y-your bro-brother?"

"Yeah, he just moved back. That's why the whole place is a mess…"

"You never mentioned that you had a twin." She replied, studiously avoiding looking at said brother.

Shinta frowned. "I didn't?"

"No, you didn't."

"Oh well, no harm done. This," he pulled Kenshin into a one armed hug, "is Kenshin, my brother. Kenshin, this is Kaoru, my girlfriend."

Kenshin pulls the corners of his mouth up automatically. "Nice to meet you."

"Well, oh, hey! Kaoru, there's something I wanted to show you, come on up." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the stairs. Kenshin turned away and took a deep breath. Smirking, he turns to find her eyes upon him. Wide-eyed still, she bites her lip as she stares at him until she is out of sight.

Kaoru. Very nice to meet you.

X-X

Author's Note

I know I was trying to keep these one-shots strictly canon but...well as they say, you can the girl out of the Alternate Universe but you can't take AU out of the girl. ehehehe. Okay, that was sad. I know. Point being, this popped into my head while watching Mulan for some strange reason. I hope you all like it.

Let me know what you think. Please comment.


	12. A Case of Mistaken Identity  Part 2

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

Characters: Shinta and Kaoru

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

This is a continuation of the previous drabble #11: **A Case of Mistaken Identity**

**Dedicated to brukaoru because she wanted a sequel to Drabble #11. I might have another one featuring Kenshin and Kaoru. Enjoi! A big 'thank you' hug to P.P.V.V, Saki-Hime, and Clarisara. Have a great New year!**

* * *

><p>"Just wait a minute. I know I have it here somewhere…." He began to throw clothes and random items off his bed, searching for something. "Kenshin bought it for me….and now I can't seem to find it….crap." He continued to look and didn't notice that Kaoru hadn't moved an inch from the door and that she looked mortified and slightly ill.<p>

"Aw, it's no use. I'll find it later. Sorry Kaoru…" he frowned as she stood staring at the floor, mercilessly mauling her lower lip. He crossed over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, what's wrong Kaoru?"

"Huh?" She looked up suddenly.

Shinta chuckled. "Wow, you're clueless."

"What…about what?" Kaoru asked in bewilderment.

"You've been staring at the floor for ages, and you haven't said a word since you got here, that's like a record." He raised his eyebrows mischievously. "And if you really have to punish your lip like that, why don't you let me do it?" He leaned in to close the distance between them.

"No, Shinta." Kaoru stopped him, shrugging his hands off her shoulders; she stepped past him and crossed her arms over her chest.

Shinta looked at her carefully. He was surprised but chose not comment on it right now. Kaoru seemed upset about something and he would rather know what was bothering her. "What's going on Kaoru? You seem…weirded out ….or something."

"Shinta….we've been going out for two months and not once in all that time, did you tell me that you had a brother. A twin! I mean, I thought identical twins were really close, and I had to see him to find out that you had a brother." She turned away and sat on his bed, ignoring the distinct smell of an unopened lunch that wafted out from under it.

"That's it? That's why you're upset?

Kaoru glared at him. "It's not a small thing Shinta."

He sighed, and sat down beside her. Taking her hand in his, he looked into her eyes and spoke, "Kaoru, Kenshin's my brother...and I love him. I mean, I would die for him, and he for me. It's just…it never came up. And he's been away for a really long time, training so it never came up. I'm sorry. I should've told you but I guess I got carried away with everything that was happening with us and…I forgot."

Kaoru instinctively turned to him. "I guess its okay. It's just…there seem to be things I don't know about you..

Shinta looked back at her with a straight face. "Well, there are a lot of things you don't know about me yet."

"Oh really? Like what?"

"Like I have a harem hidden away in my closet. The minute you leave, I'm going to pull one out and get busy."

Kaoru stared back at him. "Was that you trying to be funny?"

Shinta grimaced. "Did it work?"

"No."

"Drat. I knew it!"

A/N

Please comment.


	13. A Case of Mistaken Identity Part 3

This drabble is in continuation to drabbles #11 and #12.

Review Replies:

**BruKaoru** – Don't worry about it. Every review is precious to me, because it means somebody took the time out to click that little button at the bottom of the page. Most people don't, so I appreciate whenever someone tells me what they think about the fanfic. And, about not being in Kaoru's position…yeah right! If you got a chance to kiss Kenshin, wouldn't you? Hmmm….if you wouldn't, you have more self-control than me. :D Hope you have a great new year!

**P.P.V.V** – Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't know how much steam this little idea has. The purpose behind '50 Photographs' was to group all the little ideas and scenarios I had thought of with Kenshin and Kaoru. It's another thing that when I started writing them, they subconsciously ventured towards mangaverse, which I haven't done before. And when I started losing inspiration for canon drabbles, I switched track once more, hoping that if I got these ideas out in writing, then maybe I could concentrate upon Canon once more. In that respect, ideally, this should be a different story but, I don't know whether it has an end at this point. And I'm a stickler for planning my stories right till the end. Let's see, I might pull them out of '50 Photographs' if they become more than three drabbles. Thanks once again for writing in! Happy New Year!

**Churva**: thank you so much. Maybe Kenshin gets his say in the next one, after this. Thanks for writing in and have a great year ahead!

**Saki-hime** – I know. Shinta has no angst. He's just a fun loving guy. And he's all mine, so I love him.

**Melay** – I hope I can turn this into a story. Thanks for the review!

* * *

><p>Hiko peeked out of the kitchen. He looked around and found his bakadeshi and his friend sprawled on the couch in front of the TV. "Kenshin? Where's Shinta?"<p>

Kenshin turned. "Upstairs."

"Tell him to get down here. Lunch is ready." He disappeared inside the kitchen again. Kenshin sighed and turned to Aoshi.

"Don't even think about it." Aoshi said in a deadpan voice.

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "I haven't even said anything yet."

"I know what you're thinking. I'm not going up there to call them. They could be all sorts of tangled up by now. I don't need images of your brother making out with his girlfriend in my head."

Kenshin scowled. Aoshi glanced at him. "Hmm"

Kenshin turned to him. "What?"

Aoshi smirked. "I was just thinking…that if you were to go….and even if you interrupted…something…It would not be quite as disturbing for you as it would be for me."

"And why is that?"

Aoshi snorted. "Please Kenshin. Anybody with half a brain could see what's going on in your head. You were drowning in drool when she left."

"I was not!" He replied indignantly.

"Is that why you couldn't move when she had you pinned to the door?"

"I was not," Kenshin quickly glanced back in the direction of the kitchen, before continuing in a whisper, "…. pinned to the door."

"Oh right. You were just leaning against it."

Kenshin stood and shook his head in disgust. "You're sick Aoshi."

Aoshi laughed. "Oh, I'm sick? I suppose standing in as your brother's proxy while his girlfriend kisses you is..."

"It was an accident." He snapped.

Aoshi settled deeper into the couch and laughed. Kenshin went up the stairs with a scowl on his face. He stopped in front of Shinta's door. Taking a deep breath, he raised his knuckles and was about to knock when the door flew open and Kaoru stood in the door frame, looking every bit as startled as him.

She jumped back immediately, bumping into Shinta. "Oh."

Kenshin looked past her at his brother. "Lunch is ready."

Shinta slipped his arms around Kaoru, resting his chin on her shoulder, he grinned at his brother, "Be right there."

Kenshin turned and made his way back towards the stairs even as soft murmurs and snippets of laughter escaped to reach his ears. He quickly informed Hiko that they had a guest and began setting plates at the table.

X

Kaoru pushed the vegetables on her plate around absently even as the four men sitting around her ate in oblivious silence. She sneaked a glance at Shinta, who caught her eye, smiled and went back to eating his food. She inwardly sighed and considered glancing at the other redhead who had occupied her attention since the moment she had set foot inside the house. But the thought of looking at him terrified her. Great, just what she needed - an acute case of nail-biting embarrassment each time she thought of him.

God, she could not believe what had happened. Ugh, she was _never_ this impulsive! What on earth possessed her to do something like that? Of course she wanted to surprise Shinta, show him that she'd missed him but seriously, could she not have found a better way to display her affection for him? She felt like tearing her hair out at the roots. She squirmed uncomfortably.

That grabbed his attention. Kenshin stopped moving his fork over his plate and slowly raised his eyes to meet hers across the table. He held her eyes for the briefest second before reaching out for a glass of water.

She swallowed and looked away. She couldn't believe she was stuck in this stupid situation straight out of a movie. A very bad movie at that. This was the sort of thing she and Misao used to sit and laugh themselves silly at. Oh well hee haw…not so fun from this side of spectrum is it? She stabbed a piece of tomato thoughtfully before putting it in her mouth.

"So…Kaoru?" The deepest voice she'd ever heard floated over the table. She looked up. Oh yes. Hiko Seijurou. Shinta and Kenshin's uncle and legal guardian. As she met his eyes, she smiled. Good looks definitely run in the family.

Involuntarily, her spine seemed to pull straighter. "Yes?"

"How long have you been dating Shinta?"

Kaoru glanced at shinta. "Um...two months."

"Hmmm, I hope he's behaved himself."

"Oh dear god..." Shinta muttered as he rolled his eyes. "Uncle Hiko, can we not do this right now? Some of us are trying to eat."

"Whatever. Kaoru, how's the food?" He smiled at her.

She looked down at her plate for the fraction of a second before looking up at him. "Oh…um…it's great! Yummy. Great pasta." She stabbed her fork in the air for emphasis.

Hiko chuckled. "I see you're not a big fan of vegetables."

Kaoru smiled sheepishly. "Err….I do recognise that they constitute a food group." She replied to the amusement of everyone around the table.

Aoshi smirked. "That reminds me. Aren't you the girl who fell sick last year because you ate a spinach roll for a dare?"

Shinta laughed softly, while Kaoru replied flatly. "I'm allergic to spinach." She turned to Hiko was staring at her curiously, "It's the astringent….er…I've never really developed a taste for it."

"Well, whatever is your poison…" He glanced around the table. Everyone was pretty much finished with the meal. He picked up his plate. "Well, I have some business to take care of in town. I trust the house will be standing in one piece while I'm gone." He deposited his plate in the sink and nodded at Kenshin, who had stood as well. "We'll train when I'm back."

Kenshin nodded. "Hai, Shishou." He waited until Hiko had left the room before taking his seat again. Kaoru watched this entire exchange with curious fascination.

She leaned towards Shinta and whispered, "Why does your brother call him 'Shishou'?"

Shinta glanced at Kenshin as he replied, "Because Hiko is Kenshin's kenjutsu teacher and because Kenshin's old-fashioned," he finished loudly, intending for his brother to hear. Kenshin glanced at him, scowled and went back to his food.

"Oh." Kaoru bit her lip. She looked at Kenshin. "That's really amazing." Kenshin stopped eating. He looked at her, held her eyes but couldn't bring himself to say anything so he settled for smiling at her before looking away. Aoshi watched the entire exchange with poorly concealed amusement. He smirked as Kaoru caught him looking at her. Her face flushed and she squirmed once again.

Kaoru rolled her eyes inwardly. She had completely forgotten about Aoshi. He'd seen her little femme fatale act at the door. What if he told Shinta? Oh gods…she would have to tell him about it. She couldn't hide it from him. I mean, not while the boy she'd kissed by mistake lived in the same house. What made matters worse was that Aoshi had seen everything. Even if Kenshin didn't tell Shinta, Aoshi might. She clutched her fork tightly. The question was – how on earth was she going to tell Shinta about this? Even though it was an honest mistake, maybe he wouldn't see it that way. This was the real reason why she'd been so upset. If only she had known, he had a twin; she would have not jumped straight into that kiss. She might have tried to find out who he was before she pounced upon him like that. She might have…oh what was the use?

What was done was done. She couldn't change it. She would just have to gather some courage and tell Shinta about that kiss. It was no big deal. It didn't mean anything, did it? It was just a kiss...

A/N

Please comment


	14. Caged

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kenshin, Kaoru and Enishi

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

* * *

><p><strong>Caged<strong>

Kaoru shivered. The chains of the wooden portcullis creaked painfully, as they turned to reveal the water-logged central courtyard of the prison. The portcullis opened directly upon a balcony from which a wooden rampart was suspended by rope and chains above the wooden jetty below. A few boats were tethered here, intended to take guards further inside the confines of the prison. The pale-faced Captain of the Guard who had accompanied her thus far pointed a boat out. Kaoru followed his eyes and carefully gathered her skirts in her hand. Balancing the dossier of official papers in her other hand, she stepped out onto the balcony and waited patiently as the wooden rampart was lowered.

She could feel the captain's eyes watching her, tracing the shape of her body with his eyes. She was a curiosity to these men. A woman of high birth and breeding as her clothes, and more importantly, as the blue sapphire on her middle finger told. Such a woman belonged in the glittering cotillions of the court, not on a mission to deliver one of the prison's most deadliest and dangerous prisoners to freedom. Kaoru grasped the railing on the rampart and steadily planted her feet, quickly masking her surprise with ennui as the rampart landed with a thud on the jetty.

She ignored the questioning gaze of the boatswain as he scratched his head before doffing his cap and clumsily bowing to her.

"Captain, I hope you don't expect me to sit in this boat. It looks just about ready to sink," she mused.

"Those boats are intended for prisoners. We did not take aesthetics much into account when ordering them." The Captain replied somewhat testily. He did not appreciate intrusion upon his turf, least of all by a woman.

A shadow crossed her face. "No, of course not. But it seems strange that you did not even take functionality into account." She shook her head. "It does not matter. My task is too grave to be postponed." She lifted her skirts delicately and stepped inside the boat. Gingerly lowering herself onto the only dry plank in the boat, she nodded imperiously at the boatman. The boat was unfettered and pushed into the water passage by two boatmen standing on the jetty.

There was little light in the dungeons to begin, what made matters worse was the flickering of the lanterns all along the corridor that led to the stone cells beneath the castle. She glanced back towards the portcullis to the dungeons, where she had to leave Misao. The Count had agreed to just one visitor. Misao could not have come even if she somehow managed to override her instinctive fear of the dark.

Kaoru looked around. The stench of human waste and stagnant water seemed to merge in the air. She pressed a handkerchief to her nose, cursing her luck that this task should fall to her lot. Initiation was never meant to be so smelly. Her eyes smarted as the fumes of disinfectant wafted out from an adjacent passage.

"Fumigation." The boatsman muttered. Kaoru nodded, acknowledging the man's information.

The boatman dropped a thick length of rope on the stone paved floor before jumping out of the boat and firmly securing it to an iron ring in the stone. He straightened and doffed his hat, telling her he would wait for her here. Kaoru stepped out of the boat, thankful to be out of the purview of that filthy water. A guard held out his hand, pointing her in the direction of the cell.

"You're the lawyer." Another voice spoke to her back and sent her skittering across the narrow passage till her back was plastered against the wet, slimy wall of the dungeon. She bit the inside of her cheek, and curled her fingers into fists. She was ready for this. A dark dungeon was not going to make her throw away ten years of back-breaking effort as apprentice. She pursed her lips into a stern line and stepped towards him.

The weathered guard smirked. "You're too fine for a lawyer. I didn't know the aristocracy did anything beside drink and fornicate." He leaned against the opposite wall, one hand resting comfortably on the hilt of his sword, oblivious to the indignant fire raging in her eyes. Dragging his eyes away from her pale face, he jerked his head towards the cell they were going to. "That's the cell."

At the end of the passage was a solitary door. It was at the very end; it looked positively tiny since it was so far. She glanced at the guard, but he made no move to follow her. She noticed that the passage delved deeper into the ground as she moved closer to the door. She turned to find the guard following her at what seemed like a brisk pace but strangely keeping a distance from her.

"Just keep walking. Stop when you reach the door."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. Of course she'd stop when she reached the door. She stopped at the door. The guard dug into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of brass keys on a ring. He picked out the two largest keys. He put the first key in a slot at the top of the door, and the second one at the bottom. Then, he pulled out a black metal key and slid it into the slot in the middle of the door. Turning the keys one by one, he straightened and pushed the door open a crack.

"Yukishiro Enishi. There's someone here to see you."

X

Kaoru blinked at the darkness of the cell. She looked at the guard. "There's no light. How am I supposed to go inside when there's no light?"

A hoarse chuckle greeted her words. "I think you got the wrong cell, Joe." The guard glared inside the darkness. Kaoru raised her eyebrows, wondering if he could even see anything inside, much less glare at it.

"You shut your mouth! This lady is here to see you by order of the Count."

"But Joe, it's late and I simply can't find my good china. How am I ever going to keep her entertained?"

"I told you to shut your mouth!"

"Ohhh. Maybe, it's not for me to entertain her. Why Joe, I didn't know this sort of thing was legal. Is she here to entertain _me_?"

The guard went red in the face and Kaoru snapped her mouth shut. The guard clamped his fingers around the hilt of his sword and was about to go charging inside when Kaoru caught his arm and stopped him. "It's alright. I just need some light. Can I take your lantern?"

He exhaled loudly. "Are you sure? I can come with you inside."

Kaoru smiled icily. "It's alright. He may not be the paragon of gentlemanly grace and virtue that you are but, I'll be fine."

"If he should try something…." He trailed off and was interrupted once more by a scoff from the prisoner.

"I'm all chained up….but some girls like it that huh?" Kaoru grabbed a lantern from the guard and stepped into the cell. Swinging the lantern around, she finally spotted him - one of the most notorious and dangerous men that ever lived in the tiny duchy of Freyde – Yukishiro Enishi. Silvery white hair fell in bangs around his face, some of it matted with blood and dirt. His eyes blazed brilliantly. Her breath caught in her throat as she met his eyes, sizing her up as keenly. The rumours were true. He was as handsome as sin. Cruel, arrogant and completely unrepentant.

He let loose a deep breath. "Well, I'd say I was disappointed but that'd be lying." He whispered across the cell.

Kaoru set the lantern down on the floor. As she straightened, a faint prickle on her neck made her shiver. She looked up cautiously. He was staring at her; his eyes drifting over the skin of her neck and chest like smoke over water. Clearing her throat, she pulled a dossier out of her bag. "Yukishiro Enishi, my name is Kamiya Kaoru and I….

"And what a lovely name it is."

"I'm not finished yet. Don't interrupt me."

"Oooh, I love a woman in control. You know, it's always a pleasant surprise when you approach…things….by a different angle." He whispered silkily.

Kaoru snapped the dossier shut. The blatant innuendo was not lost on her. "Very well. I was willing to give you a chance and speak to you civilly but I see no reason to do so any longer. The Duke would like to offer you a deal."

"What deal?"

"Help us find the Battousai and he'll waive your sentence." Kaoru noticed how his demeanor changed as soon as she took the famed swordsman's name. His smile turned tight and his forehead twitched uncontrollably.

"Now why would I do that?" He spoke in the same raspy voice he had used when she had first heard him outside the cell.

"Your name is on a list of prisoners to be hanged next week. Help find Battousai, and you could be off that list. Not a bad deal, is it?"

Enishi looked away. She waited. After what seemed like an eternity in the dark, dingy cell, he turned and looked at her with a glint in his eyes. "I'll take it."

Kaoru nodded. "Good." She turned to go.

"Just one thing."

"What?"

"If I do this, when you get the Battousai, I get you…in chains."

Kaoru banged on the door of the cell, fists shaking, cheeks burning. The guard appeared almost instantaneously. She slipped out the door and raced up the passage to the boat.

A/N

Please comment.


	15. Coffee

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kenshin and Kaoru

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

* * *

><p><strong>Coffee<strong>

Kaoru stared at the tie wrapped carelessly around the doorknob. It was practically falling off, just hanging on by some miraculous sense of survival. She rolled her eyes. Of course, it would just be her luck to barge inside her dorm once the tie had slipped off from its precarious perch on the doorknob. But the fact that it was still hanging could only mean that the universe was still kind and minor setbacks such as finding a tie on the door for the fourth consecutive afternoon should only be seen as minor setbacks in what had proved to be a pretty fruitful fourth week of the current semester.

She frowned at the tie. The incessant chatter of her peaceful side was losing out against the blazing, annoyed part of her that wanted to enter her dorm room for once before Misao's prized stallion for the day had left.

"I cannot believe this!" She fought the urge to kick the door, violently. She turned, paced a bit and returned to the door. She stood there, staring at the tie as though it would disappear and take which ever random man Misao had in there with it.

She didn't notice the pizza delivery guy who gave her a weird look as she stood stupidly staring at her door. She didn't even notice the door to the opposite dorm room open. Sanosuke's friend from the bar stepped out, paid the pizza guy and stopped in his tracks as he noticed her. He took in the tie, the shut door, and her frown pout and raised an eyebrow in understanding.

He leaned against the doorframe. "Kaoru?"

Kaoru whipped around, startled at hearing another's voice. She blinked as she noticed him. "Oh, hi….umm…Kenshin. Kenshin, right?"

He smiled. "Right."

She smiled back. "Hi."

"You already said that."

"Oh, right sorry."

"No problem….everything okay?"

Kaoru sighed. "I'm fine. I just wanted to catch some sleep but now," she waved absently at the door, "I can't go in. So I'm just a little pissed off about that."

Kenshin made a show of looking behind her at the door. "Oh, hey, that's no problem, you can come crash here."

"Oh no… I couldn't. You probably have company." She pointed at the large pizza box in his hands.

"No, please. No company, I was just expecting Sano but he's late. He probably won't even show so, come on in."

"I don't know,"

"I'll make you coffee."

Kaoru took a deep breath. "You sure it's no problem?"

He smiled. "Absolutely not."

"Okay."

He held the door open for her. Kaoru walked in, feeling only a little self-conscious. Again, she didn't notice as the door across the hall opened and Misao bustled out, alone and dressed for a date. She waved at Kenshin and took off down the hall.

The tie dropped to the floor. Kenshin placed the box on the floor, and shot out like a bullet. Shoving the tie in the pocket of his sweatpants, he nimbly crossed the hall once again and shut the door.

Kaoru stood uncertainly near the kitchenette. Kenshin smiled at her. "How about that coffee now?"

**Author's Note**

Please comment.


	16. A Little Friendly Advice

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kaoru and Aoshi

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

* * *

><p><strong>Review Replies<strong>:

**Brukaoru** – Will the Battousai be caught though? Hmm, that remains to be seen.

**Saki-hime** – I fear I am too cruel to poor Kaoru sometimes.

**P.P.V.V.** – I don't blame you. Actually a lot of us in the fandom have a problem just "liking" Enishi. He usually inspires a lot more intense emotion. I find he's terribly convenient to turn into the hot bad guy with a touch of insanity about him. His unpredictability is probably what makes him attractive, to me, at least. I must sound crazy. And Kaoru is a noble woman and the reason why she goes to the prison alone is that is her task, her initiation rather. There will be further details about her organization in the next instalment of this one-shot, so it won't seem as weird anymore.

Special thanks to **Angle1, morningwolf, anon-chan, kokoronagomu, and sulou**.

* * *

><p>A KaoruAoshi friendship ficlet because I think in a modern world, these two would make great friends.

**A Little Friendly Advice**

Kaoru gazed thoughtfully into the soft brown beverage resting in her styrofoam cup. Her briefcase was wedged in the backseat along with a cardboard box full of papers for the case she was working on, a chocolate easter egg basket, a basketball, a pair of ratty old sneakers she just didn't have the heart to throw out and a baseball bat because no matter what anybody said, every city had its fair share of weirdos who just didn't get the concept of 'No, I don't want you anywhere near me'.

She sighed deeply and checked her watch again. It wasn't like Aoshi to be late….ever. The last time he'd been late was when….oh great, she groaned. She hoped he remembered that they had a meeting with Makoto & Associates. And she really didn't feel like going to this meeting alone. Really.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the passenger window. Kaoru opened the door to let in Aoshi who looked like he just walked off a ramp in New York. He glanced at the back seat.

"When was the last time you cleaned this thing?"

"Excuse me? Are you sure you want to talk about the state of my car right now Aoshi?" She moved the car into gear and swerved out of her parking spot. "You're late. And you made me late too."

Aoshi raised an eyebrow. Kaoru glanced at him. "What?"

He lifted his chin imperiously. "I have never been in any position to make you late." A beat. "Maybe you should ask Himura."

Kaoru sputtered. "Why you nasty, insidious, insinuating bastard!"

"You started it."

"Whatever. Why were you late anyway?" She checked the rear view mirror before quickly switching lanes to make the exit. "It's not like you, at all. Is everything okay?"

Aoshi absently stroked his tie. Fiddling with the handle of his briefcase, he glanced at her, "I made a mistake."

Kaoru nudged the inside of her cheek with her tongue. "What sort of mistake?"

Aoshi closed his eyes for a second before turning slightly towards the window. Kaoru blinked. She could distinctly hear a fire engine alarm going off in her head. Ignoring the fact that they were already behind schedule and that that cat Yumi Komagata at Makoto & Associates would probably rub their faces in it for the next five weeks to come, she pulled over at least four blocks away from the meeting place and parked.

Aoshi looked at her in bafflement. He glanced around the street. "What are you doing Kaoru? We're still four blocks away."

"Sweetie, you're a _world_ away. Now spill. What's up?" She looked at him earnestly.

"Kaoru…this really isn't the time for..."

"Trust me I know. We're late. That bitch Yumi is going to shred us for being late, Kenshin will probably fire us because we gave Shishio a reason to brag, but all of that can wait. You look…like you really need to throw a hissy fit. So go ahead, tell me."

"It's nothing."

"'Nothing' doesn't make you look like Romeo's long lost cousin. Now stop hedging and tell me."

Aoshi rubbed his forehead. He turned to her. "I made a really big mistake. You know how last week was my anniversary?"

"Yeah, you had a surprise for Misao. You'd been planning it all month."

"Yeah…well….that. I kind of… forgot about it."

"You what?" Kaoru shrieked, eyes almost bulging out.

"Pipe down, for god's sake! Yes! I forgot. I know! I'm sorry. I wish I could die, but I can't and now it's killing me. And Misao hasn't so much as said a word to me all week. And I can't take it anymore."

Kaoru simply stared, mouth wide open.

Aoshi rolled his eyes and stared at the road ahead. "And you can shut your mouth now. Shocking revelations over."

Kaoru moved back to her original position. She glanced at Aoshi as she turned the key. "Well, have you tried…?"

"Yes. I have. I have begged, grovelled, bought her a year's supply of pudding, painted the kitchen with rainbow sparkles like she wanted, there are now little unicorn fountains all over the garden, the garage door is painted hot pink. I even put a lava lamp in the drawing room! And a mountain of chocolate."

Kaoru grinned mischievously. "Boy, are you whipped! I didn't know Misao had it in her."

"Oh shut up."

Kaoru smiled slyly as she went over all the things Aoshi had told her. "Wait a minute. Oh my gosh." She turned to Aoshi. "Have you tried…you know…"

Aoshi frowned. "What?"

Kaoru bit her lip delicately and tilted her head. "You know what I'm talking about."

Aoshi let a breath loose. "No Kaoru, I assure you I do not know what you're talking about."

Kaoru groaned with frustration. "I _swear_…why are you guys so thick headed!"

"What? You haven't said anything!"

"Exactly! Sometimes, you just need to do…not say things. Listen, try and think like Misao."

"Excuse me, have you met my wife?" Aoshi asked sarcastically. "You can't think like Misao. Nobody can think like Misao because Misao lives on the planet of Sunshine and Rainbows."

Kaoru growled. "I have half a mind to drive my fist into your face but that will completely ruin my plan, so count yourself lucky, mister."

"You have a plan?"

"I have a plan."

"What?"

Kaoru smiled. "There's only one way to get Misao to accept that mountain of apologies and chocolate you have for her."

"And that is…"

Kaoru leaned close conspiratorially. "You put one piece of chocolate at the door, one at the foot of the stairs….and…_the rest on yourself_." She finished with a whisper. Aoshi froze. He blinked, his mind slowly grasping the implications of the plan and gradually, a slow smile began to stretch across his lips. He licked his lips.

"Kaoru?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm calling in sick."

Kaoru grinned. "Okay. I'll give you a ten minute head start before I call Misao."

Aoshi smiled back at her as he opened the door and stepped out of the car. He hailed a taxi, and as the yellow cab slowed to a stop before him, Kaoru quickly got out of the car and yelled, "Aoshi!"

He turned, surprised. "Chocolate melts faster in a microwave." She winked.

As the cab sped away, Kaoru sighed and turned the key in ignition once more. She drove the remaining four blacks to the office of Makoto & Associates and parked. As she climbed the steps to the front office, she dialled Misao's number and waited. Two rings later, her friend's voice sounded despondently over the line, "He doesn't love me anymore Kaoru. He doesn't want me."

"Oh you big baby. Go home."

"What?"

"Go home."

"Why?"

"I think it'll be worth it."

"What are you…"

"Just go home!" She cut the call. "Kids…"

A young man with dark hair and delicate features stepped forward, holding out his hand. "Miss Kamiya? I'm Soujirou Seta. Really sorry but Miss Komagata is running a little late, if you don't mind, we could begin proceedings and she'll join us later on."

Kaoru smiled widely. "Of course. It's no problem at all." He held a door open for her and Kaoru sailed through.

X

Next Morning

Kenshin glanced into Kaoru's office. "Hey gorgeous."

"Hi Kenshin." Kaoru was furiously typing away at her keyboard.

"Aoshi's still not in yet."

"No?"

"No. Did he mention anything to you?"

"Oh, he caught a bug." She swivelled around in her chair to face Kenshin. "He probably won't make it for a couple days. Don't worry. I can handle most of his work."

Kenshin looked concerned. "Hope he gets better soon."

Kaoru grinned. "Oh, he will. He will."

**Author's Note**

Alright, I will confess I have a soft corner for Kaoru/Aoshi friendship. Well, I haven't encountered that much of it but I really think it would be real. It's an idea I've explored in one of my AU fics, Love Lies and Empire. And I thought I'd just see what I could do with it in a more modern setting. So here we are. I hope you all like it. Please be kind!


	17. A Case of Mistaken Identity Part 4

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kaoru and Misao

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

This is a continuation of Drabble #13, part IV of Case of Mistaken Identity.

* * *

><p>"What do you think of this?" Misao held up a bottle of electric blue nail paint. Kaoru pretended to gag and retch. Misao put the bottle down and rolled her eyes at her best friend.<p>

"Oh, that's so funny Kaoru."

"That's disgusting, Misao."

"Whatever. You still haven't told me why you sounded like your cat died on the phone yesterday." Misao shook the bottle, shaking up the little sparkly bits floating inside the sea of electric blue shimmer.

Kaoru groaned and rolled over on her stomach. She buried her face inside a pillow. Misao frowned as the unmistakable sound of mumbling emerged from her friend. She poked Kaoru with a finger.

"Speak up, Mumble. I can't hear you."

Kaoru lifted her face from the pillow and turned to Misao. Propping herself up on an elbow, she rested her hand on her hip and shook her head slightly. "It's so stupid. I feel idiotic just telling you about it."

Misao grinned. "Okay, you have officially stoked my curiosity. Spill!"

"Okay." Kaoru sat up and crossed her legs, pulling the pillow into her lap. Pulling a deep breath, she shut her eyes and bent her head as she spoke, "IkissedShinta'sbrother."

Misao blinked, thinking that she clearly imagined what she had just heard. "What?"

Kaoru bit her lip. "I kissed Shinta's brother."

Misao felt her jaw drop, "What? What are you….how could you…I mean…wait a minute! Since when does he have a brother?" Misao waved her hands about.

Kaoru felt her forehead crinkle as she considered the question. "Since this morning, as far as I'm concerned. He says he 'forgot' to tell me about Kenshin."

Misao's eyebrows shot up. "He forgot? What sort of lame-ass excuse is that? And how in the world do you forget that you have a brother?" Misao shrugged her shoulder in derision. Then thinking something completely different, she asked, "What does his brother look like? Is he cute?"

"They're twins, Misao. They look exactly alike."

"Wow that is so cool."

"Yes well, it's not so cool when you don't know that your boyfriend has an identical twin." She sighed. She didn't miss how Misao's eyes seemed to brighten with mischief.

"Oh. My. God. Don't tell me. That's why you kissed him!" Kaoru bit her lip sheepishly. Misao roared with laughter and rolled back. Kaoru flushed as Misao continue to laugh uproariously.

"Oh gods….my cheeks hurt….I don't believe it." She sat up again. "You finally scrounge up the courage to commit a PDA and then you do it to the wrong brother! Only you, Kaoru, only you ..."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "It's not funny! I was so embarrassed I wanted to die."

"Okay, okay back up, back up. Tell me from the beginning." Misao scooted forward and propped her chin in her hand, her eyes wide and bright.

"You're taking way too much pleasure in my misery." Kaoru replied drily.

"Oh, unclench. Tell me what happened."

Taking a deep breath, Kaoru began, "I was so happy that I was going to see Shinta and I wanted to surprise him….do something that was totally uncharacteristic of me. So….I show up at his house, ring the doorbell, and launch into a kiss the moment he appeared." She shook her head.

Misao's eyes grew wide. "Go on."

"And I'm thinking – this feels so good, this feels so perfect…and so I pull away and he's looking at me with the most adorable, stunned, shocked-into-silence expression that I have never seen on him." Kaoru smiled at the memory before her face fell and she turned to Misao with a pout, "Then, of course I realized that it wasn't Shinta that I'd kissed….but his twin, Kenshin."

"How did you figure it out?"

"I didn't. Aoshi walked in on us and called him 'Kenshin'. That's how I knew I'd made a mistake. I swear it was so awkward."

Misao nodded. "I can imagine. How did Shinta take it?"

Kaoru started playing with the corners of the pillowcase. Misao frowned. "Kaoru?"

She sighed. "I sort of haven't told him yet."

Misao gaped at her. Kaoru rushed to explain, "It all happened so fast. And he didn't give me the chance to explain, and then we were having lunch, and then I had to leave, and I forgot."

"You forgot?"

"Yeah." She replied in a small voice.

"How could you forget? Kaoru, you have to tell him."

"I know."

"Better he finds out from you, instead of his brother, or worse Aoshi. What were you thinking? You should have told him at once. You guys could made a joke about it and it would be over."

"It's weird. I don't how to tell him." She looked away, avoiding meeting Misao's eyes.

Misao frowned and looked closely at her friend. Finally, she cleared her throat, "Kaoru, why haven't you told him yet?"

"I will. I just haven't found the right time."

Misao rolled over and poked her in the shoulder, hard enough to hurt. "What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing! And ow, Misao that hurts!"

"Tell me what you're thinking."

"Nothing, sheesh."

"This isn't nothing."

"It's nothing."

"Kaoru!"

"…."

"Tell me…."

Kaoru sighed. "Well, the reason I haven't told him yet is….if he asks me how it was….I might not be able to lie…."

"…"

"…."

"Oh, Kaoru…"

**Author's Note**

Hi everyone, sorry about the long delay. It was just New Year's, some celebration in the family, Lohri, and my adorable tornado turned two!

I have some more one-shots planned out, hopefully I'll upload them later today or tomorrow, oh and sorry to alarm everyone but I think I've fallen for a completely new fandom. Zutara! So I am writing a one-shot type thingy thing for it and hopefully it'll be ready in another two or three days. I am so excited! yeah, Zuko and Katara...they totally rock yeah? Any fellow Zutara fans out there? This space will soon be filled with fic recommendaions, oh if you want to recommend some to me, that'd be great!


	18. Hide!

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kaoru and Kenshin

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Modern AU, Kenshin has always been Kaoru's sanctuary.

* * *

><p><strong>Hide<strong>

"Kaoru, please hurry up. I need those cucumbers today honey." The soft voice of her mother belied the steely command latent in her words. Kaoru thrust her lower lip out, furrowed her eyebrows and quickly sliced the cucumbers into even discs. Depositing the plate in front of her mother, she stepped back from the kitchen island, and craned her neck to peek into the drawing room.

Her father was on the phone. She slumped. No chance of help from that end.

"Is something wrong Kaoru?"

"No, Mom. Everything's fine, just peachy."

"Hmmm."

Her mother began to hum as she expertly tossed a salad and grated cheese over a pasta dish. Kaoru took a deep breath. Now or never.

"Mom, do you need any more help?"

"No…we're pretty much set here. Have you set the table?"

"Yes."

"Folded the napkins like I told you to?"

"Yes."

"And you tidied your room as well?"

"Well….a little."

"Kaoru…." She drew her name out in a warning tone. Kaoru pulled a face.

"So what if it isn't one hundred percent tidy. It's not like anybody is going to see it."

"What if you and Enishi want to play videogames?"

"I am not taking that..that worm…"

"Kaoru…."

"Oh alright! But, I'm not taking Enishi anywhere near my room. Not to play videogames or anything else! Mom, I can't stand that guy and you just had to go and invite him and his family over for dinner. Geez, Mom, what were you thinking?"

"Kaoru, they're new in town and as neighbours, it's our duty to make sure they feel like a part of our community. You know that."

"Well fine, but do I have to be here? I can't stand him, he's so annoying!"

"What has the poor boy done to you Kaoru? You're never this bitter."

"I'm not being bitter. Enishi is just…just…an ignoramus, Mom."

Her mother laughed. "Oh Kaoru. You're so funny."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Can't I just go over to Misao's?" She turned to face her mother and shrank a little at her stern expression.

"Kaoru, we have guests coming over for dinner. I want you to be polite. Even if you don't like them. Understood?"

Kaoru sighed. "Yes, Mom."

"That's my girl." She bent and quickly kissed the top of Kaoru's head. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

X

Half an hour later…..

Kenshin put his pen down and laid his head down upon his notebook. Groaning slightly, he stretched his hand, bringing his fingers to rest between his shoulder blades and gently massaged his tired muscles. Straightening his back, he rolled his shoulders back and forward before putting his books away. Just as he was about to stand and leave the room, there was a noise outside.

He turned towards it. There was a warm breeze blowing, making the curtains billow softly. He stood and walked to the window and looked outside. The street was deserted except for a few boys shooting hoops next door. He glanced at the house across the street in passing. Kaoru had mentioned something about a dinner. He leaned his hands on the window sill and sighed.

Suddenly there was a flash of light in the old tree-house. He frowned. What was that?

Kenshin pulled out a flashlight from a drawer and lightly ran down the stairs and out into the backyard to investigate. He stuck the flashlight in the back pocket of his jeans, and pulled himself up the tree. Sticking his head, through the lush branches of the tree, he felt his eyebrows shoot up at the sight that greeted him. Kaoru Kamiya, his precocious twelve year old neighbour, sat bundled up in a blanket with a packet of crisps and a candle for company.

She looked up in alarm, and relaxed as she recognised him. Kenshin shook his head and heaved himself onto the wooden pallet that served as a tree house when he'd been younger.

"Kaoru-chan, what are you doing here?"

"Hiding." She replied shortly.

"That's nice. Why aren't you home?"

"That would involve being nice to Enishi."

"Who's Enishi?"

"He's a jerk." She looked up. Kenshin was waiting for her to explain. "He's having dinner at my house."

"And you're here?"

"I'm allergic to jerks."

Kenshin ran his fingers through his hair. "Do your parents know you're here?"

She bit her lip. "No."

He took a deep breath and looked at her. "Come on, let's get you home."

A look of panic crossed her features. "Please Kenshin, let me stay here a while longer."

"Kaoru-chan, your Mom is probably getting ready to freak out. You have to go back."

"But…"

"Come on." He began his descent down the tree, jumping off the last branch with ease. Kaoru followed reluctantly behind him, clutching the blanket and crumpled packet of crisps. He crossed the yard and held the kitchen door open for her. Kaoru held her head down and dragged her feet, plodding into the kitchen.

"What's this? You cradle-snatching now, Himura?" Kaoru raised her eyes at the new voice. It was a slender boy with dark hair. He looked like he was in high school, just like Kenshin.

"Kaoru Kamiya, my friend Kamatari. Kamatari, this is Kaoru-chan, she lives across the street."

The boy glanced at her, smiling as he took in the blanket. "Running away from home?"

"Avoiding unpleasant dinner guests." She replied without batting an eyelid. Kamatari raised an eyebrow at Kenshin, who shook his head and picked up the kitchen phone.

Kaoru slumped in a chair and glared at him. Kenshin smiled at her and dialled the number. He waited for a few seconds, "Hello? Mrs. Kamiya, this is Kenshin….yes, from across the street. Just thought I'd let you know, Kaoru's here. Yes, she's fine. I'm bringing her over right away. It's alright, don't worry about it."

He put the phone down and turned to Kaoru who glared daggers at him. "I can't believe you did that! I thought I could trust you!"

"Kaoru-chan, your Mom was really worried."

"The only thing she's worried about right now is whether or not Enishi likes the pasta!" She grabbed her blanket and stamped to the door. Kenshin followed her.

"Kaoru, wait. I'll drop you home."

"It's across the street. It's not like I'll get lost." She slammed the door shut, and then reappeared five seconds later. "Traitor!"

The door slammed once more. The walls seemed to tremble. Kamatari glanced at Kenshin, "Well, you've always had a thing for high-voltage females." Kenshin rolled his eyes and punched him in the shoulder.

X

Author's Note

This is the first in a series of one-shots where the setting is modern. Kaoru is a bratty child and Kenshin is in high school. The one-shots will explore how their friendship grows over the years. Little snippets of conversations and incidents in their lives. Hope you all like them.


	19. Round One

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kaoru and Kenshin

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Modern AU, Kaoru decides to pay Kenshin back for snitching on her.

* * *

><p><strong>Round One<strong>

Kenshin dug into his jeans pocket fumbling around for the keys. He groaned and checked his coat pockets as well. Nothing. He shook his bangs out of his eyes and prayed that his master was home. Lugging the cardboard box higher in his arms he trudged up the driveway and cursed under his breath as he read the note stuck to the door. "Going out, the keys are with the Kamiyas."

Sighing, Kenshin bent and placed the box on the porch and stretching his arms; he jogged across the street and rang the doorbell. There was no response. He shrugged and rang the bell again. Still no response. He rolled his eyes. Please be home. Please be home.

All of a sudden, the door was jerked open. Kaoru stood held the door open, watching him with a scowl on her face. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

Kenshin bit back a laugh. Apparently, Kaoru could really hold onto a grudge. She still hadn't forgiven him for snitching on her and she made her displeasure evident everyday in some way or the other. He smiled, "Shishou left the house keys with you. Can I have them?"

She didn't move. "Can you have them? Sure. Will I give them to you? Not so sure."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Excuse me?"

Kaoru leaned against the door, inspecting her fingernails. "Gee Kenshin, I just can't remember where I put them."

Kenshin shook his head. "Kaoru-chan, this is not a good time. I have to go somewhere, and I need to drop this stuff off…and why am I telling you all this…just give me my keys!"

Kaoru perked up. "Ooh, do you have a date? Too bad you'll be late….hey! That rhymes!" She laughed in delight, ignoring the glowering scowl Kenshin sent her way.

"Kaoru-chan, my keys. Now."

"Did you know how imperative it is to speak kindly and encouragingly to middle-schoolers? A harsh word can lead to the debilitation of spirit and creativity in an impressionable mind."

"Kaoru, if you do not give me the keys right this very instant…I'm going to tell your mother just how Troy Mathers got that black eye."

Kaoru gasped. "You wouldn't."

It was Kenshin's turn to lean against the doorframe and preen over his hands. "You leave me no choice."

Kaoru nibbled on her lip. "She won't believe you."

"You wanna bet on that?"

"You evil, evil man."

He simply smirked. "You have a lot to learn yet, young paduan."

Kaoru shoved the keys in his hand. "Fine! Take your dumb keys."

Kenshin smiled winningly. He stepped away from the porch and began to walk down the driveway. "Bye, Kaoru-chan!"

Kaoru scowled. "Bye."

X

**Author's Note**

Please comment


	20. The Sacrifice

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kaoru and Kenshin

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Yes, I have succumbed to the dark side. Presenting my first ever, Ruroken vampire oneshot. Dark-ish Kenshin.

* * *

><p><strong>The Sacrifice<strong>

"Please! Don't do this. Please!" She dug her heels into the ground, dragging her feet into the opposite direction, pushing away with her hands, trying to loosen the men's grip on her arms. Flailing an arm wildly, she latched onto the wooden frame of the door. Clenching her fingers around it tightly, she held on with her life, burrowing her head in her arms to escape the blows raining down on her now from all directions. She sank to the ground, her hair billowing about her face like a curtain. The beaten earth floor of the village elder's hut seemed warm and soft against her bare feet and knees.

A splinter broke away from the doorframe and sunk into her skin. She didn't wince, didn't even flinch. A splinter was nothing compared to her life. Her breath sputtered and her nose ached with the lump in her throat. She gasped for breath, bobbing her head up and down, trying to coax air into her lungs.

Someone fisted a hand in her hair and pulled her up to her feet. Jerking her head back, the rough hands yanked her fingers violently away from the frame. She was dragged towards the door. The large man holding her hair, the blacksmith she recognised, settled matters by placing a large hand firmly in the small of her back. He pushed her out of the hut. She stumbled over the three steps leading to the street and fell heavily in the dirt outside. Her palms skidded against the dirt and tiny pebbles. Her cheek hit the ground. She coughed, sending dirt flying in the air. Her lip was cut, and blood trickled down the corner of her mouth. She froze. Her blood ran cold in her veins.

She turned. The men who were pushing her just a minute ago stepped back at the sight of the viscous, crimson liquid dripping down her chin. She stood shakily. The door slammed shut and the bolt slid into place with finality.

Kaoru let out a desperate cry and ran back to the door, banging her fists against it. "No! No, please, don't. Don't leave me to die." She ran to the window, but it was barred. "Please don't. I'm like a daughter to you. How can you do this to me?" She slid down to the ground, tears bursting out the corner of her eyes. She raked her nails over the smooth teak of the door, banging her fists against the silence.

Little by little, the sobs wracking her body subsided. She rested her forehead against the door and ran her fingers over her face. Her fingers stilled when they met with the blood at the corner of her mouth. She wiped the blood off her chin. Streaks of blood now stained her palms. She bit her lip. She stood and walked down the steps, into the street.

Reaching down into the dirt, she scooped some up and rubbed the blood off her palms. Gathering her skirt, she rose once again. She screwed her eyes shut. She should have known! She should have suspected what was happening when her neighbours began to take notice of her all of a sudden. When they bought her this dress, when someone volunteered to brush and braid her hair fashionably, when they willingly let her into their houses for dinner. A bastard child like her was expendable. She was just a sacrifice. All they did was fatten her up for the monsters to take.

Angrily, she wiped her tears away, and looked around. Every door was shut, every window barred to the horrors they had left her to face alone. Her fists shook with rage and she marched to the door once more.

"Cowards!" She screamed and kicked the door. "You're all nothing but a bunch of cowards! You should be out here, fighting them….but instead; you bow your heads like cattle and hide in your houses!" She whirled, directing her ire at the houses on the opposite side of the street.

"I'm not going to go easily! Every night when you try to sleep, my screams will haunt you! Curse you! Calling yourself men and letting a girl bear the brunt of your sins…" Her voice became hoarse and she hung her head. Her throat felt tender and bruised….and her heart…her heart felt fit to burst from her chest and shrivel to death.

And then, the clock struck twelve. Kaoru shivered. She stared down the dark street, where the shadows seemed to push and pull at the moonlight. She drew a shaky breath and looked around. The crossbow they had deigned to throw at her earlier was lying forgotten near the elder's well. She ran and picked it up. Checking it, she noticed that an arrow was locked and ready for use. She hoisted it up in one arm, getting used to the weight of the thing.

A chill breeze swept through the street and she froze. It felt like the cold, cold breath of a crypt. Kaoru turned to look. The shadows were lengthening now, and the streetlamp began to flicker for a moment before it went out. Snuffed out, like a candle. Kaoru jumped in alarm. She darted behind the well….crossbow ready, heartbeat fluttered and breath uneven.

Nothing happened. She waited.

An icy ribbon of air curled like a hand around her neck. She turned on her heel on instinct. Crouching low and holding the crossbow steady, she released the arrow at the figure standing before her. The arrow sailed through the air with a twang. A pale hand reached out and caught it between two elegant fingers. Kaoru's eyes grew wide as her heart sank into her shoes. Letting out a cry, she scrambled back and rushed out into the street.

The creature who caught the arrow glanced at it in amusement. He smirked, his fangs glinting in the moonlight. "Crossbows? Really? I feel offended." Kaoru swallowed. He looked unearthly. His eyes were the colour of morning sunshine reflected in the river, his hair the colour of the blood he fed upon, his form alluring, intoxicating, calling her in, tempting her to relax, his voice soothing, telling her to drop her defences, to surrender to him.

Kaoru bunched her hands into her billowing skirt. In the recesses of her mind, the word she had dreaded her entire life wafted into the foreground of her consciousness. Vampyre.

The man….creature….twirled the arrow casually between his fingers and walked towards her. With each step, he drew closer and closer to her. Kaoru stepped back, eyes darting everywhere, looking for something, anything that she could attack him with. She refused to let her life be reduced to the midnight snack of a monster. A small current ran through her body as she spied a pitchfork stuck inside a bunch of hay bales mounted on a wagon. She sent a silent pardon to the unknown soul who had been careless enough to leave that out. She pivoted and ran to the wagon, her gown getting in the way. Pulling the pitchfork out of the hay, she turned, eyes gleaming, and the iron points of the pitchfork glistening in the light of the moon.

She turned and felt the air rush out of her lungs. The creature stood dead in front of her, not a foot away from her body. She shut her eyes and swung the pitchfork with all her might. The tool met thin air, and she stumbled forward a few steps. Gripping the handle tightly, she turned again, but there was nobody there. The street was empty.

She whipped her head around from side to side, but there was nobody there. As the wind blew again, she shivered and goose bumps erupted on her skin.

Someone sighed beside her, "You need better weapons to fight me, little girl." Kaoru swung the pitchfork. The creature caught it effortlessly. He pulled it away from her, and smirked. Gloating at her helplessness, he snapped the pitchfork into two over his thigh and tossed the pieces away without a glance. "Any more?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. She picked up a rock and flung it towards him. The creature merely tilted his head. The rock sailed past him. She simply shook her head and began to back away. He ran his eyes over her curiously. His gaze stopped at her lips. Narrowing his eyes, he licked his lips as the faint streaks of blood staining the pale skin of her face called to him. He felt his hunger surge in his veins like fire. The sound of her heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears. Tilting his head, he looked from her to the closed doors and windows that surrounded the village square. "What's this?"

"They left you out here, with nothing but a crossbow?" His voice was a soft murmur.

Kaoru nodded, tears began to prick at her eyes again. She blinked them away. She would not beg this creature for mercy. She would not cry and show him how terrified she was. Her weakness belonged to her alone.

"So….that means….you're a present." He dragged his teeth over his lip slowly. "How delicious."

X

Author's Note

Hi everybody…so like I mentioned before the one-shot, I have finally succumbed to the temptation of writing a Ruroken vampire fic-thing. I have snippets of a conversation that may take place sometime after this but I don't know if I want to post them. The plot is skeletal at best. It's something I haven't decided yet, but I'm hopeful I'll figure it out soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this one-shot as well.

One more thing, if anybody has a prompt or request they'd like me to tackle, I'll be happy to take up the challenge.


	21. Caged Part 2

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kenshin, Kaoru and Enishi

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

* * *

><p><strong>This is a continuation of Drabble #14: Caged. <strong>

The Black Rose was supposed to be a hunting retreat for the Duke's late brother. Its halls and rooms designed to display the hunting prowess of its masters. Huge heads of savage beasts rested frozen in death upon the walls, along corridors, and crowned over mantles. Tiger skins and leopard skins were stretched out regally in front of fireplaces that took up half the wall. It was a house meant to intimidate, threaten, to revel in the feeling of triumph over brute strength, to relish in the glory of the kill. It was not meant to provide comfort; and indeed it gave none to the young lady pacing about in the large sitting room, waiting now for her order's leader to grant her an audience.

Her skirts swished as she turned sharply, away from the life-sized figurine of a pouncing panther. She stared uneasily at the beast's open jaw, stretched to show gleaming teeth and wondered why this meeting could not have been held in the more civilised town house in the city. Her disapproving reverie broke as the door opened and a man strode in.

He smirked at the sight of her frowning at the lifeless animal. He tossed his cane aside and loosened his cravat, not bothering to check if the valet trailing behind him caught the cane or not. His gloves landed on the table and his black overcoat on the recliner. Picking up a bottle, he crossed the room and let himself down in an armchair in front of the fireplace, across from her.

"You look anxious." He murmured softly, running his hands through his ebony hair. His eyes casually ran over her frame, slowing down under her neck for just a moment longer than appropriate and rising to meet her eyes, just in time to see her look away. An angry flush coloured her cheeks; she had not missed his scrutiny.

He smiled and poured himself a drink. His intent had been to rattle her and there was really nothing that annoyed young, capable, strong women like her more than a primal, male appreciation of their physical charms. "Did everything go well?" He put the bottle down on the floor. "What did he say?"

"Why did you send me, Aoshi?" Her voice quivered faintly. He glanced up at her. She gripped the back of the other armchair tightly in her fingers, as though it was the only thing stopping her from leaping forward and gouging his eyes out.

"What do you mean?"

"That ….man," she rasped out. "He…I have never been so angry." She stepped forward.

"What did he do?" He asked flatly. "Did he refuse?"

Kaoru pursed her lips together and stared coldly at her superior. "No. He will help."

Aoshi glanced at her over the rim of his glass. Arching an eyebrow delicately as he set the glass down on the table, he smiled, "That is good news." He stood and came to stand before her. "You did very well, for your first task."

Kaoru looked up at him. She opened her mouth to say something but then slowly lowered her head as she thought better of it. Aoshi stood in front of the fire, gazing into its golden core. "Thank you. And now…."

"And now you are a full fledged member of the Order. Congratulations."

"Thank you." She replied quietly.

"If he has agreed to help, then we must not waste anymore time. The Battousai was last seen venturing towards the southern valleys. I want you and Enishi to head south and keep an eye out."

Kaoru snapped her head back. "Me? You want me to go into unchartered, unknown, savage territory with that madman?"

"Tch. Those words don't become you. A swordswoman should not sound like a parlour butterfly. It's annoying."

"Aoshi, I can't accompany him. He's deranged! Besides, I'm new to the order! Shouldn't you give me something commonplace to do first?" She fought down a shiver as she thought about the man in chains she had left at the prison. Spending ten minutes under his piercing, invasive stare had been bad enough, how would she ever stand him if they had to travel together?

Aoshi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "What exactly, is the problem Kaoru? Did something happen?" He stared at her.

Kaoru stepped back. The last thing she wanted was for Aoshi to know about the prisoner's last words to her. Not that she didn't trust him, he was one of the very few, very rare honourable men left in the Duke's court. But, manipulation and deception were the bywords of their trade, and if the stakes were ever high enough, she knew that Aoshi wouldn't think twice before exploiting this knowledge to his advantage.

"No. It's just…."

"You were the one who wanted to be on this case. You've been asking about the Battousai since you heard of us. You wanted to be on the quest to search for him….and now; you're going back on your words? It doesn't bode well for a new recruit to be so….picky." He picked up the bottle once again. The bourbon swirled in a beautiful ellipse before settling.

Kaoru buried a shaky breath in her throat. She had to be careful. She couldn't afford to be thrown off this venture. "No. I'm not…being picky. I just…I don't know how comfortable Yukishiro Enishi will be about having some random female foisted onto him. I've never been to the southern valleys."

"Don't worry about him. We'll tell him your presence is non-negotiable." He glanced at her. "Besides, I doubt he'll refuse the company of a woman, especially one so…" He smirked at the warning flashed in Kaoru's eyes. "….one so charming."

"Are you making fun of me?"

He chuckled. "You're the runt of the litter. Better get used to it." He rose to his feet. The bourbon was abandoned on the floor once again. He picked up his overcoat and removed a slim packet from one of the inside pockets. He tossed it towards her. "Those are his release papers. There's a warrant from Judge Nakamura, His Grace's seal and a contract you have to make him sign."

"What does it say?"

"In a nutshell, it says that he is to locate the Battousai and retrieve him, unharmed. Any refusal to follow orders from us will result in immediate termination of the contract and failure to locate the Battousai within three months will find him back in the hell hole we're taking him out of." He leaned against the wall, watching her surreptitiously from under his eyelashes. "Sound good?"

"Effective." She rolled the packet up and stuck it inside the folds of her parasol. "Will that be all?"

"Yes."

"Any last words of advice?"

Aoshi smiled. "You don't need advice."

"What if I wanted it?"

He merely smiled and nodded at the door. "You're late." She took a deep breath and left the room.

X

The guards still looked at her like she was an exhibition at the fair, but the staring was subtler. The boat ride was made more awkward by the boatman's insistence on talking to her. Kaoru ignored him for the most part; a cold dread settled in the pit of her stomach as the boat drew nearer and nearer to Yukishiro Enishi's cell. As they turned into the last canal, she allowed herself a final shudder before straightening her back and bititng back a groan. She stepped out nimbler than before, and in no time, she was standing before the cell, a magistrate in tow. The man stated theterms of the release in a dry monotone. After signing away her freedom as security and taking full responsibility for his actions, the magistrate signed in his own name with a flourish and they both stepped back as the guard proceeded to open the door once again.

"Yukishiro Enishi, you are being released forthwith from Blackwaters Prison, owing to the infinite mercy of His Grace, the Duke of Freyde."

"About time."

Kaoru took a tiny step back. The guard removed the chains binding Enishi to the walls; he removed the iron ball attached to his ankles. He held the prisoner firmly by the arm and brought him out.

Kaoru turned to the magistrate and quietly asked a few questions, while the guards began to search for more keys. As he lifted a key to the chains binding his hands, she looked up and shook her head.

"The chains stay." Enishi tunred to her.

He smiled, blue eyes blazing with intent. "Ahh you…I didn't think you'd be back." His voice was no more than a whisper. It seemed like the rustling of a snake in the grass.

"I don't scare easily."

"Of course not. It'd be no fun if you did."

She glared at him. "Gentlemen, are we done here?"

The magistrate nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, you're free to go."

Kaoru set her lips in a grim line and turned on her heel. Enishi followed at a leisurely pace. His eyes traced the curves of her body and brightened at her furious glare. He smirked. No, it was no fun if it were easy.


	22. Show and Tell

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kenshin and Kaoru

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Hello everyone!

It's been ages since I was seen writing, or updating in these parts and what I have now isn't that much but it shall suffice to get the train going again.

**P.P.V.V** – Remember how you once mentioned that I was on a roll with these one-shots, well I think the roll has shifted to you my friend. You are churning out drabbles on a daily basis, way to go!

Everybody, P.P.V.V has begun a drabble series called **In Memories: Kotowari**. Do check it out. If you want well-written, beautiful canon, that's the place to be. Find the link on my Favourites.

Onward!

We can safely blame this snippet on Calvin and Hobbes.

* * *

><p><strong>Show and Tell<strong>

"Settle down, children." Miss Byrd clapped her hands together, calling her third-grade class to attention. "We are about to begin Show-and-Tell for this week. Who wants to go first?" She looked around and beamed as several hands began to wave about in the air, their occupants jumping in their seats.

"Me!"

"Me!"

"Me! Miss Byrd, pick me!" Miss Byrd held up her hands, before quickly deciding who to call first. "Alright, alright, my you're all in such high spirits. That's wonderful. Okay, I think…Kenshin, you can go first."

Kenshin grinned. He swept his bangs back and picking up the large chart on his desk, he tucked it under his arm and rushed to the front of the classroom. He looked at Miss Byrd, who nodded, signalling him to begin.

"Okay. For Show-and-Tell today, I have brought…" he opened the chart and held it out for everyone to see, "a diagram."

"What is that?"

Kenshin looked at it. "This is a diagram of my future home. You can see I have coloured all the rooms according to their importance."

The rest of the children looked at the chart, pointing out the different colours and whispering amongst them.

A girl in pigtails sitting at the front asked, "Ken-chan, what's your favourite colour?"

"Blue!"

Miss Byrd stepped forward, looking at the chart with interest. "Is that your room then, in blue?"

Kenshin smiled widely and looked down at the chart. Looking up, he shook his head vigorously, "No, that is not my room. That room belongs to Kaoru-chan. That's where she's going to live when we get married!"

"…"

"…"

"Oh…ahhhh…very well Ken-chan, you may sit."

X

Please comment.

It stank. I know. sigh krystalMage. Epic Fail.


	23. Friends Like These

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kaoru, Misao, Soujirou, Aoshi, Kamatari and Kenshin

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

This drabble is set in the same universe as **'Hide'** and **'Round One'**. Kenshin is a high-schooler and Kaoru is a sixth grader who is also his neighbour.

* * *

><p><strong>Friends Like These<strong>

Kaoru hopped from one foot to the other. She stood on the tips of her toes and craned her neck, trying to check if the last piece of chocolate brownie was still sitting peacefully on its tray. It was still there! She grinned. There were just three people in front of her in the lunch line. The first two she knew from her failed attempt at ballet five years ago. Kaoru smirked. They wouldn't be caught dead even looking at the brownie, let alone picking it up and eating it. As for the kid in front of her….it was Troy Mathers. And he would leave the brownie well alone, if he knew what was good for him.

Five minutes later, the scrumptious-looking, moist cakey piece of heaven was sitting on her plate and Troy Mathers was growling at her back. Kaoru hummed to herself as she slid onto a bench. Pulling her earphones out of her pocket, she plugged them into her ears and opened her copy of Kundera.

Just as she was climbing the stairway to heaven, somebody yanked the earphones out of her ears and plonked down in the bench across her.

"Ow!" Kaoru glared at the girl sitting there. "Misao! What is wrong with you?"

"Never mind!" Misao waved her arms around like a madwoman. "I have been looking all over for you. I've been to the library, the football field, the gym, our homeroom and nobody has a clue where you are. And here you are! How can you sit and eat at a time like this?" The words were tumbling out of Misao's mouth as water from a broken fire hydrant. "Where have you been?"

Kaoru blinked, somewhat cowed down by the fireworks. "I've been right here, Misao. It is lunch hour. Where else would I be?" She raised a hand in confusion.

Misao drew a deep breath. She held her hands out in front of her. "Okay. You don't know what happened, so I have decided to let it go…this once."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. Misao was always so melodramatic. "How very kind of you." She twirled her fork in the spaghetti and neatly pulled the forkful of pasta into her mouth.

Misao leaned forward. "You are never going to guess what happened today." She tucked her hand against her cheek and leaned on the table. "Oh, it was wonderful! It was….fate."

Kaoru's eyebrow twitched. Misao uttering the words 'wonderful' and 'fate' together in the same sentence could only mean one thing. Shinomori Aoshi. Whenever she got that faraway, dreamy look in her eyes, it had something to do with him. She narrowed her eyes and poked the vegetables on her plate malevolently.

She looked up at the soft thud of a book bag beside her. Soujirou brushed his bangs out of his eyes and smiled at her; as he too settled down to eat lunch. Kaoru smiled back amiably. Soujirou was a decent sort; he was the only specimen of the sixth grade male species she hadn't had a desire to throttle…yet. He glanced up at Misao and blinked.

"Hi Misao." He spoke in his soft, delicate tones.

Misao kept staring off into space. Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Don't bother Soujirou. She can't hear you right now."

Soujirou cocked his head towards her, "Why? What's wrong with her?"

Kaoru pushed the healthy looking broccoli pieces to one side of her plate. "She's in dreamland. Give it time. I'd say we have about three minutes worth of Misao playing girlfriend-boyfriend with Aoshi in her sparkly pink princess castle."

Soujirou almost choked. Kaoru glanced at him absently before slamming a fist on his back. He coughed and drank some water before nodding at her in acknowledgement. With watery eyes, he looked at Kaoru, "Who…who is Aoshi?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Aoshi…is Aoshi." She watched a look of consternation whip past Soujirou's face and felt her jaw drop in astonishment and understanding. She whipped her eyes back to her plate and slapped herself silly inside her head. Of course! How could she be so mind-bogglingly _stupid_. Soujirou had a thing for Misao. Hell he'd had a thing for Misao since kindergarten, when Misao and her had been playing ninjas and they'd wanted a third player to rescue. Soujirou had agreed to become the dashing-rogue-in-sudden and inexplicable-distress and the rest, as they say was history.

Kaoru nibbled on her lip and kept staring at her plate. Soujirou frowned. "Kaoru? I'm asking you a question." He sounded serious. Hoo boy. Kaoru sighed. Oh, she hated serious Soujirou. Serious Soujirou was like getting stuck with Enishi for a lab partner in Chemistry. Creepy.

So she decided to hedge. "Eh…well….Aoshi…hmm…let's see now…Aoshi is…"

"He's beautiful…" Misao murmured in a dreamy, breathy voice, eyes still glazed over like she was on a sugar high.

Kaoru groaned and ran her palm over her face. "Oh, for the love of clams Misao! Get a hold of yourself." She sneaked a glance to Soujirou, who sat straight as a poker, eating his food quickly in very precise, very tiny bite-size portions. His eyes were on his plate and she suddenly had the feeling that he was trying very hard not to simply stand up and leave.

"What?" Misao sat up suddenly, blinked at the both of them. Her eyes lit up just as quickly though and she launched into a monologue. "Oh Kaoru! You won't believe what happened to me on the way to school! I was late right? So I thought I'd take the shortcut, you know the rickety old bridge across the river? Yeah, well it leads to a meadow and then there's a path that goes straight to the back of the school." Misao tossed her braid over her shoulder. "So I'm cycling as fast as I can, and I'm almost at the rickety old gate at the back of school when this mangy old cat jumps up at me out of nowhere, and it threw my balance and I fell, and my bike landed on me!"

Soujirou twitched. He paused in eating and looked at Misao, "Were you hurt, Misao?"

Misao waved a hand at him. "Nope. But that's not important." She turned to Kaoru. "So I'm lying there, thinking how crappy the morning is turning out to be and suddenly there's these muscular arms lifting the bike off me, and holding a hand out to me. It was him! Oh Kaoru, the minute I saw his eyes, I just…I just…" Misao sighed heavily and fell silent, staring off into space again.

Kaoru blinked. Her eyebrows hurt with the strain of being pushed into her hairline since the elusive 'him' of Misao's narrative had shown up. She narrowed her eyes.

"Then, what?"

"Nothing. He helped me up; made sure I was okay and walked me to school."

"Oh."

"He's amazing. I mean, it was so sweet of him to do that."

"Hmmm I guess." Kaoru replied non-commitally. She sneaked a glance at Soujirou, who was discreetly rolling his eyes as he ate his rice.

"And that's not all!"

"There's more?" Soujirou grunted in disgust, but Misao ignored him. She was too busy rifling through her backpack. Kaoru leaned forward with curiosity. Crying out in delight, Misao pulled a slightly battered notebook out. Kaoru glanced at the notebook, then at Misao, who brandished the stationery like it was treasure. It was official. If she had any doubts before this, now she was certain: Misao was nuts.

"Eh…Misao, it's a notebook."

"Not just any old notebook. It's Aoshi's math notebook! Isn't this wonderful!" Misao squealed with delight, jumping about in her seat, making both her friends cringe and squirm painfully at the sight of their friend acting like a groupie.

"Yeah….great." Kaoru mumbled.

Misao put the notebook down. "So this is what we're going to do…I have to go give this back to Aoshi and you two are coming with me."

Soujirou snorted. "What for?"

"Well, you can't just leave me to do this by myself…I'll make a total mess of it! Come on. I need you guys to keep me sane while I do this. I don't want him to think I'm some sort of fan girl."

Soujirou and Kaoru exchanged a glance, then looked at her and raised their eyebrows. Together. Misao rolled her eyes. "I mean…sheesh, whatever. The thing is…he doesn't have to know that!"

Soujirou shouldered his bag and stood. "Much as I'd love to help you Misao…I have to study. Bye. Bye Kaoru." He strode off. Kaoru waved ineffectually at his back.

Misao huffed. "What crawled up his ass and died?" Kaoru groaned as her palm made contact with her face again. "So Kaoru…I have it all planned out."

Kaoru groaned and banged her head against the table.

X

"Do you see him? Is he alone?" Kaoru rolled her eyes and slipped back beside Misao, who stood craning her neck as far as she dared. They were standing outside the high-school parking lot. To their left was a basketball court and to the right, the exit leading out of the school to the main street.

Kaoru brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Yes, I see him and no, he's not alone. He's with his moronic friends."

Misao scrunched up her nose. "How do you know they're moronic?"

Kaoru scoffed. "It's a figure of speech Misao. Don't take everything so literally." She dusted her jeans off. Not that she wanted to impress anybody but it would never do to go into enemy territory looking anything less than competent. "So, how are we doing this?"

Misao took a deep breath. "Okay. You wait here. I'll go."

"Okay…I thought you wanted somebody along to keep your leash tight." Kaoru smirked. "You know, just in case you jump him."

Misao glared at her. "Oh ha ha Kaoru. Very funny." Her fingers shook as she took the notebook out. "You are forgetting that you're only here to provide muscle and drive the getaway car."

"Excuse me? I'm the muscle?"

Misao shrugged. "You're the only girl I know who has the balls to take on a guy more than two times her size."

Kaoru blushed in pleasure. "Really?"

Misao glanced at her and good-naturedly bumped her shoulder with hers. "Of course. You're tough Kaoru." She grinned at her. "Okay, here I go. Wish me luck."

"Good luck."

Misao took a deep breath and walked out into the parking lot. Kaoru watched as she walked purposefully past two cars and just as purposefully, dropped the notebook and scrambled back to the wall after picking it up. Kaoru gawked as Misao rushed madly back into their little hiding spot. She looked across the parking lot, where Aoshi leaned against a car with his friends. They had not noticed anything.

"Misao!" She hissed. "What are you doing?"

Misao panted. "I can't do it!"

"What?" Kaoru felt like tearing her hair out by the roots. "Misao, we've been standing here for half an hour, waiting for the parking lot to clear. He's going to leave any minute now."

"I know." Misao answered with a whine. "But I just can't do it, Kaoru. It's too embarrassing."

Kaoru folded her arms across her chest. "Get up Misao." She spoke in her no-nonsense voice. Grabbing Misao by the arm, she pulled her to her feet and began to march her out into the parking lot. Misao gasped in horror and dragged her feet in the opposite direction.

"Kaoru! What are you doing?" She struggled but Kaoru held firm and kept pushing her towards the group of boys. "No…Kaoru...no, please don't…Kaoru I mean it. Kaoru…." Misao begged desperately. Kaoru ignored her.

The boys finally noticed them. It was pretty hard to ignore the commotion they were making. One of the boys leaned forward, trying to get a good look at the girls.

Kamatari let out a small laugh. "Hey Kenshin, isn't that kid your high-voltage neighbour?"

Kenshin dumped his bag in the backseat of Aoshi's car and looked out. "It is." He wondered what she was doing out here though.

Kaoru stopped in front of them and pulled Misao out from where she was hiding behind her. Kenshin blinked in confusion. Misao bit her lip sheepishly. Kamatari grinned and Aoshi remained stoically silent. He remembered the smaller girl from this morning.

Kaoru nudged Misao and jerked her chin towards the older boys. Misao took a deep breath and turned to them, plastering on a sparkling smile for effect.

"Hi!" She waved.

No response. The wind blew a plastic bag across the parking lot.

Finally, Kamatari took some pity on the pair in front of him and held his hand up. "Hey." He looked at Kaoru. "What's up Tiger?" She gaped at him. He smirked back, obviously enjoying her reaction. Misao took that moment to dive in.

She stepped up to Aoshi and held the notebook out like a live grenade. "Here'."

Aoshi narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Kamatari leaned towards him. "I think she mentioned its your notebook and you left it with her this morning." Aoshi glowered at him. Kamatari ignored him and winked at Misao.

Aoshi took the notebook. "Thanks."

Kenshin beamed at Misao. "So nice of you to bring it back. He's been worried about it all day, haven't you Aoshi?"

Kaoru nudged Misao again. Misao started. "Err…well I just wanted to thank you for helping me this morning. I really appreciated it. Thank you." She bowed quickly.

Aoshi shrugged. "It was no big deal. Don't worry about it." Misao shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Kaoru sneaked a glance at her. Behind her back, Misao held a small box of chocolates clutched in her fingers. She had brought it along as a token of appreciation but now it seemed she had lost her nerve once again. Of course, the fact that his friends were watching like they were starved for entertainment didn't help either. Kaoru groaned inwardly.

She made a great show about losing an earring and requested Kamatari and Kenshin to help her find it. "If you two help, I stand a better chance of finding it."

Misao's eyes widened. She mouthed a quick 'thank-you' and Kaoru conveniently led the other two boys away.

X

Ten minutes later, the three of them sat on the sidewalk. Kenshin ran his hands through his hair. "So, you think that's enough time we've wasted, Kaoru-chan?"

Kaoru looked back. Misao was waving her arms around and talking fifty miles a minute. Aoshi was leaning against his car, an infinitesimal smile on his face.

She grinned. "Yep, I think that's enough time."

X

Please comment. This one is based on a real incident involving a friend of mine when we were in 7th grade. She had this giant crush on this guy who was a junior at our school. Great memories. Hope you all enjoy!


	24. Broom Closet

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kaoru and Kenshin

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

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><p><strong>Broom Closet<strong>

"Sano, I asked you to toss the salad, not murder it!" Megumi snatched the bowl away from him and marched to the end of the table. Sanosuke stared after her with his mouth hanging open in surprise before following her, whining about how she never let him do anything. He would have continued to plead "Please Megitsune," if the snickers coming from the table's other two male occupants had been a little harder to hear. Megumi glared at him one last time before delicately tossing the salad once, and placing the bowl neatly near the pasta dish on the table. She then dusted her hands and swept back into the kitchen.

Kenshin dipped a spoon into the sauce and brought it to his lips. Closing his eyes, he placed the spoon on his tongue and closed his lips around it. Kaoru stood beside him, biting her lips in anticipation. Her apron was splattered with streaks of olive oil and tomato puree and she held a spatula in her hand. She turned it over in her fingers as Kenshin pulled the spoon from his mouth and frowned at it slightly. He smacked his lips together twice, as though trying to figure the taste out.

"Well," Kaoru ventured, "What do you think?" She rocked on her heels. "Do you like it? Do you hate it?" She fidgeted about nervously.

Kenshin raised his eyes to meet hers. The corner of his mouth curved up in a smile and he placed the spoon on the counter and stepped away from the pan. Curling his fingers around her wrist, he pulled her towards him and began to walk towards the door. "Come with me." Kaoru felt her eyes go wide at the heated look in his eyes.

Megumi looked up just as they were about to leave the kitchen. "Excuse me? Where do you think you're going?"

Kenshin pulled Kaoru in front of him and placed his hands on her waist. "I forgot my secret ingredient in the car."

Megumi narrowed her eyes. "Fine. But why are you taking Kaoru along?"

Kenshin smirked. "Why Megumi, you don't expect me to retrieve the secret ingredient all by myself do you? You might make Sano steal it, then where would I be?"

Megumi scoffed. "Oh please, as if I would want your secret ingredient. It's probably just beer or something. You still don't stand a chance against mine." She tossed her hair behind her shoulder and looked at him imperiously, a look of smug satisfaction gracing her face.

Kenshin shrugged. "Well, you have nothing to worry about then." He pushed Kaoru out the door.

Kaoru glanced at him. "What's going on, you haven't said a word about the sauce, was it _that_ bad?" Her lip quivered. Kenshin smiled at her and rubbed her arm encouragingly.

He looked into the living room. "Hey Aoshi, can you keep an eye on Kenji for a minute. We forgot something in the car." Aoshi snapped his head up. His protests died on his lips as he realized Kenshin was gone. He looked at the little boy playing with trains underneath the table and sighed.

Kenshin pulled Kaoru along, answering her frantic questions by with a sly grin. Ducking into the main hallway, he looked around.

"Okay, this will do." He pulled her in and shut the down behind her. Kaoru gawked at him.

"Kenshin! What on earth are you doing?"

He curved his arms tightly around her waist and puller her closer. The glint in his eyes turned predatory as he bent his head and softly stroked the lobe of her ear with his tongue. "Just letting you know what I think about that sauce." He dug the fingers of one hand into her waist, and pulled on the strap of her dress with the other. His lips fluttered teasingly along the side of her neck and his hips pressed against hers, pinning her to the wall.

Kaoru closed her eyes and let her head fall back. "In the hall closet," she gasped as his teeth bit into her shoulder lightly, "Haven't we outgrown this, Kenshin?"

His low laughter floated over her skin and set her on fire. "Oh no, we haven't." He tugged on her zipper and ran his hands up and down her bare back. Kaoru arched into his hands, her breath lingering and catching with the subtleties of his touch.

Her lips raked over his pulse point and she snuck her hands under his skirt. "This is crazy. Anyone could open that door."

Kenshin's eyes darkened with desire as he took in her flushed appearance. "Then you're just going to have to be quiet." Kaoru moaned as his hands cupped her breasts. "We have about ten minutes before they figure out that we are nowhere near the car."

Kaoru smirked. "Ten minutes?" She laughed softly, and slid her leg up around his hip. "Think you can handle that?"

Kenshin's grin turned feral as he slipped a hand along her thigh. "Oh I can handle it." He bent his head and caught her lips in a searing kiss. Her arms curled around his neck and she pulled herself tighter along his body.

The door creaked noisily before it was yanked open by a very tall, very shocked, very horrified Sanosuke.

"AHHHHH! Blind! I'm blind!" Sanosuke's voice echoed against the walls. Kaoru yelped and whipped back, deeper into the closet, fumbling with her zipper and pulling her shoulder straps straight. Kenshin slapped his hand against his forehead and glared at Sanosuke.

One by one, the remaining occupants of the house filtered towards the source of all the noise.

"What's going on?"

"Rooster-head, can't you go a minute without making a scene?"

"Making a scene?" Sanosuke gaped at Megumi. "I'm not making a scene goddamit! Those two, _those_ two - arghhh! I may never step into that closet again. I am scarred for life!" Sanosuke shuddered. Megumi looked past him to where Kenshin and Kaoru stood sheepishly, hands entwined and eyes on the floor.

Megumi rolled her eyes at what was fast becoming a recurring event ever since Kaoru had started taking cooking lessons with Kenshin. She ignored Sano's whining over the 'lack of shame' and 'gross depravity' and 'avaricious thrill-seeking in the midst of small children'. It had been entertaining at first but it was becoming annoying lately, not to mention the fact that each time she thought Kaoru couldn't possibly turn a deeper shade of red, she managed it. Megumi was a busy woman. She had things to do, recipe contests to hold, red-headed chefs to defeat. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She would deal with Sano later.

"Honestly, you guys couldn't do _any_ better than a broom closet?"

X

Please comment.

Well, there is no explanation for this one. This is just because! Hey, Kenshin needs to keep motivating Kaoru, right? I'm not too happy with this, but well, it's been sitting around for more than a week and I haven't had the inclination to rework this.

Okay, **IMPORTANT NOTE**: I may be taking a break from all things fanfiction till about June. There is half of a chapter of **Dark Promises** written, I will post that chapter and say Arrividerci to you lovely people for about three months. There are several reasons, first of which, my daughter is joining playschool soon, and I have to get her acclimatized to the new schedule and secondly, I have yet another exam in June. So it's back to the books for me. Thank you all for the tremendous support shown to me for all my stories.

Please don't worry. I shall come back and finish my stories.


	25. Slave

**Summary**: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kaoru and Kenshin

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognise here belongs to the one and only Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Author's Note**

Hello everyone! Wow it's good to be back! Back to writing! Back to reading fanfiction! I have been away a really long time and I just want to tell everyone who kept writing to me that I am so grateful for the love and encouragement. It's been a rough and stressful couple of months and I am eager to get the stories going again.

**Magistical M** – I am SOOO sorry I didn't reply to your email. I was just focussing on my exam and so forcibly staying away from all things fanfiction. That said and done, I was delighted to find another fellow Indian fan. Don't know any in real life you know.

**Cat** – You kept me going even when I thought – this is it. The end. Caput. And I can never thank you enough for that. Love and Karma.

This one-shot will be continued. Sorry if it seems a little confusing, its meant to do that. I really wanted to do something fantastical, hoping I can flesh out enough material for this universe. Hope you all like it!

**Slave**

Muttering a soft curse, the man perched on the lead camel twisted his neck and squinted against the harsh light of the sun. It was almost four hours past noon, but the glaring light reflected off the golden dunes showed no sign of dissipating. He pursed his lips. They would be within sight of the gates of Tabrez in two hours. He watched as the lumbering forms of the camels made a swinging, curving line stretching as far as the eye could see. He narrowed his eyes and stared at it; the line curved but did not break. That was good. There was strength in numbers. Taking a hundred extra men on the journey from Awadh was expensive but it was worth the trouble if the caravan was protected from the cursed bandits that swarmed the sands like pestilence.

There was no telling when the wretched bandits would strike again. He could not afford to become complacent. There were women in the caravan; wives and daughters of the Nawab's household; each worth her weight in gold, if brought safely to Tabrez. A vein in his neck bulged as he swallowed. But if they were harmed, the Nawab would extract their worth from his flesh and blood.

He nudged the camel off the edge of the dune and down into a shallow valley of sand to observe the movement of the caravan. The guard at the tail end of the caravan raised his hand, signalling that all was well. He nodded imperceptively and rejoined the head of the line. He didn't notice the bright pair of eyes that peeked out from between the curtains of one of the palanquins.

X

Azure eyes stared past the golden sand dunes shifting ever so subtly, towards the horizon where the beryl coat of the sky met the golden silk of the never-ending sand of the desert. The journey was almost over. By nightfall, they would reach Tabrez, the city of her promised husband. Tabrez, the magical water city that lay snuggled in the middle of a vast, cruel desert – the city she was now to call home. Twelve natural springs fed water and life into this ancient city of stones walkways, bridges, ponds, and canals. The Shahenshah built Tabrez to reward his most trusted general for the invasion of Samarkhand and called it the Jewel of the Desert. Only those loyal and willing to die for the Shahenshah were allowed to set foot inside this paradise.

As the wind teased the curtain and pulled it away from her fingers, she let her mind wander back inside the palanquin, where her aunt was speaking in loud tones to a secondary, more distant female relative.

"We have been fortunate. Three weeks was not nearly enough time to prepare for a wedding, and wedding in Tabrez at that! But we managed, and now the deal is done." She stretched and picked up her box of paan. Flicking the lid open, she offered it to her companions, only drawing it back to herself when the proffered delicacy was refused. Carefully placing the betel leaf on her tongue she chewed expertly before turning her eyes to her niece.

"Look you; must you carry such a long face around? Anyone would think we were escorting you to your death!" She smiled in approval as the remaining lady in the palanquin tittered with bashful delight.

The girl took a deep breath. "Is there a difference?"

Begum Alia snapped her head towards her niece, her eyes shimmering with barely concealed anger. "Stop your absurd prattling! Do you hear yourself? A thousand girls would die for your good fortune but you don't even realize it." She sat up straight. "Listen to me, you silly girl. You have been given a gift. A marriage into the family of the Emir of Tabrez - what more could a girl want?" She raised her fingers, counting off on them. "Twelve caskets of gold asharfis, silks and muslin beyond your imagination, six camels, a chest full of precious stones, and the permission to spend one month of every year back in Awadh - positively baths of asses' milk. And this girl turns her nose up at it."

The other woman seated in the palanquin wore a glazed look in her eyes. "Is that what they offered for her?"

Begum Alia smirked. "That's not all. This came with the initial proposal, afterwards the Emir's son even named one of the river palaces as hers, along with servants and gold. These girls have no brains." She waved a hand dismissively.

The girl turned away and frowned. Baths of asses' milk indeed. Well if she didn't have any brains, her aunt definitely had no imagination. There was so much more to the world than robes woven with gold thread and a river palace.

She leaned her arms on the window sill and stared out again. The sun was finally showing some signs of relenting as it edged closer to the distant horizon. Soon, it would slip beyond the sand dunes like a coin in water and disappear. And then the stars would wheel about in the firmament and she would dream - of galloping horses, and wild rivers, of mountains so high one would feel giddy looking up, of temples hidden in valleys deep and old, of the bazaars of the ancient world, of adventure and excitement that resided far, far away from her destiny as the wife of the son of an Emir.

X

The dreams arrived as swiftly and strongly as they had for over a week, since they had left Awadh. It was not to be her lot in life to simply marry, bear children and fade away in a perfumed shroud. Her dreams took her to wild, untamed lands, where men battled for honour and blood flowed like water. In the teeming darkness, the seeds of fire eddied and swirled onto the blank paper of her mind, and the figure of a man twisted away and slunk back in the shadows. She leaned forward but could not see his face. She squinted and narrowed her eyes but he would not step into the light. He remained at the edges of the yellow light dancing around because of the fire.

She strained and pulled at the flimsy fabric of her dream, pulling at it, willing it to reveal what it hid. He began to walk. She glanced down and gasped. He knelt at her side, his bright teeth glinting in the light as he smirked.

His hair was contained at the crown of his head in a ponytail, its red strands falling down his back like raw silk. His cheek was marred by a scar and in his hand, resting carelessly in long, firm fingers, he held a sword.

She gasped for breath and woke, shivering.

X

The guard lifted his scimitar and held it against the bars of the jail cells. Calling out to the prisoners, he rammed the sheath of the scimitar against the bars and began to saunter down the corridor, calling out, "By the will of the Emir of Tabrez, the Merciful, may the Heavens preserve him, all prisoners are to be sold to the noble families of Tabrez, so that their souls may find redemption by serving their betters!"

His voice echoed in the hollow, rat infested dungeons. As the sound of his voice died away, prisoners stood by the doors of their cells, speaking to one another in low voices.

A man sat deep in the shadows. He smirked at the guard's words. Redemption for those that sin. How very merciful.

A low rumble sounded in his throat as he stretched and rose to his feet. His eyes were veiled by clumps of hair that fell in his eyes. He shook his head slightly and stared down the corridor. His fingers twitched. He glanced at them.

Not long now. Not long.

X

Please comment.


	26. Caged Part III

**Other stories Recently Updated**

**The Dance of the Firefly - New chapters out!**

**Dark Promises - New Chapter out!**

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><p><strong>Summary<strong>: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include the other Ruroken cast. A mix of canon and AU one-shots. Some crack can be expected. Read and Review!

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Kenshin, Kaoru and Enishi

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**This is a continuation of Drabble #21**

Thank you **notentirelyunliketea, aclockworKat, Ayla27, hitokiri midnight, kokoroagomu** for the reviews!

* * *

><p><strong>Caged<strong>

Kaoru's fingers clenched tightly. When she had received her orders, she had not expected to be sitting in a cramped compartment with Yukishiro Enishi, pretending she didn't realize how often his eyes would roam over her frame and warm lasciviously. She grit her teeth and reminded herself why it would be a very bad idea to slit his throat as he slept.

The Battousai was rumoured to be hiding somewhere in the southern territories – a world far removed from the glittering capital of Freyde. Unfortunately, the man sitting across from her was the only person who could find him.

The southern territories were savage; an untamed expanse of land stretching as far as the icy seas inhabited by whales. The people who lived here were hard, forced to become callow and unfeeling by the hostile land.

She was an outsider, who knew nothing of their misery and the hell they battled each day to survive. They would tell her nothing, but they would speak to Enishi. She had known Yukishiro Enishi would be troublesome but she had not thought she would be feeling the irrepressible desire to shred him into tiny pieces so early in their partnership. She surreptitiously glanced at him only to find him smirking at her…again.

She rolled her eyes slightly and glared at the map.

He chuckled, cognizant of the irritation sweeping off her frame in waves. Her annoyance at being reduced to an object of desire was palpable. She would glare in his direction every few minutes, her gaze dripping poison when faced with his unerring insistence upon gawking at her.

Kaoru bit the inside of her cheek to stop from snapping at him. It would not do to lose control in front of this man.

He lounged in the seat opposite, hands still bound in the prison chains although Kaoru had relented enough to allow the chains around his ankles to be removed. He would require the use of his limbs when the train stopped.

Forcing herself to stare at the tiny handwriting in one corner of the map, she focussed upon the information given to her by Aoshi. Treason was a crime punishable by death in the duchy of Freyde.

The Battousai had committed treason. He had turned his back upon his lord and master and walked away from the untold riches and power which would have been his, if only he had not betrayed the duke.

Aoshi told her the Battousai had dug his grave the day he'd decided his thoughts and ideas held greater merit than what he had been ordered to do. He had fallen prey to the myth of his own legend. Himura Kenshin, better known as the Battousai the Manslayer had believed his lord and master would understand his gradual dissatisfaction with his role within the structured apparatus controlling Freyde.

The duke had been apoplectic with rage when his expedient assassin defected, disappearing into the dark of the night, never to be seen nor heard from again. Until now.

Kaoru steeled herself and glanced up, mentally preparing herself for the covetous desire she saw plainly in Enishi's eyes. It infuriated her. She looked back at him with barely disguised frustration.

He threw his head back and laughed.

Kaoru rolled her eyes as he continued to laugh. Glaring at him acidly, she said, "I don't recall doing anything to cause you to laugh so uncontrollably, Prisoner."

Enishi smiled widely at her. "Just the fact you're here is enough, sweetheart."

She looked away. "Why am I not surprised to know my misery delights you?"

He shifted. "I'm not delighted by your _misery_." He let his eyes flick over her body suggestively. "You trouble yourself unnecessarily. Why are you so tense?"

He leaned forward. "I won't let anything happen to you." His eyes gleamed as she bristled and folded her arms over her chest protectively, making her displeasure at his overture obvious. He chuckled.

She turned away. He continued to watch her before turning his eyes to the pitcher of water upon the small table built into the wall of the carriage.

"Water."

Kaoru blinked. "What?"

He gestured to the pitcher.

Composing herself, Kaoru glanced at the pitcher and back towards the prisoner. Finally relenting, more from an acceptance of the fact she was stuck with him until the end of this ordeal than any feeling of companionship, she leaned forward and poured a glass of water and held it out to him.

He leaned forward. Ignoring the glass of water, he ran his fingers along the back of her hand, clasping her fingers tightly in his hand as she dropped the tumbler.

"Let go!" Kaoru tried to pull her hand away, her features twisting into a dark scowl. "You forget your place Prisoner."

"You forget yours. I hope you remember my condition for accepting this task." He ran his tongue over his lips.

Kaoru was horrified. She gave a sharp tug and her fingers slipped out of his grasp. Shivering with rage, she stood and slipped out of the compartment into the corridor. Slamming the door shut behind her, she clenched her fists and leaned against the door, cursing Aoshi for sticking her in this mess.

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